A Quest in Another Dimension
by 0553140
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno are sucked into the world of Middle Earth due to an odd occurrence! What role will they play in the story?
1. Chapter 1 Proloque

_**PROLOGUE**_

___**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R Tolkien**_

___**No money is being made from this story.**_

_..._

_Stories are known to become legends when those who know the true story die from old age, illness or some other means. They may not even have had children to pass the story on to the next generation._

_This legend set out on its first path when a member of the ' Tora', clan by the name of Tora Akame, discovered the use of a new kind of Sharingan that was named the Mangekou Sharingan by the later members of the Uchiha clan. _

_The boy was the ancient ancestor of Madara Uchiha._

_The power of this new Sharingan enabled the young twelve year old boy to pass through a vortex of light and fall to another dimension that was very different from his own._

_The finding of a new dimension was a great feat, even if it had been an accident triggered by experimenting._

_Akame found himself lying on the scratchy grass of an open field in Middle Earth during the Second Age, only thirty three years before the Last Alliance between men and elves was to be formed._

_He was found there in the field, dazed and slightly injured by the fall, by a young pretty girl whom was about his age._

_She had thick, shoulder length brown curls and large deep blue eyes that were looking down at him. She was knelt before him with curiousity shown in her eyes._  
_Then she opened her mouth to ask for his name and where he had come from, but Akame just blinked his eyes in confusion._

'' _What are you trying to ask?'' he asked her, but the girl looked just as bewildered as he felt._

_In that moment it was clear to the both of them that they couldn't understand each other._

_Akame cursed quietly. He then pointed at himself and said: '' Akame!''_

_The girl seemed to understand what he was trying to tell him, for she smiled and pointed at herself.'' Dalma!'' she said._

_Akame nodded and slowly sat up. _

_He grunted as a slight pain flashed through his skull where a bump peeked out from under his head hair. He shook off the pain and tried to open his Sharingan eyes to see if he could use them to return to his dimension, but he soon found to his shock that he couldn't open them._  
_He then tried to concentrate the chakra running through his chakra veins, but the chakra flowed out of his concentration like water from a person's hand._

_By now he was slightly afraid at the realization that he couldn't do anything with his chakra._

_He was snapped out of his thoughts when Dalma said something he couldn't understand. He looked up and saw her holding out a hand to help him up. _

_Akame grasped her hand and was pulled back onto his feet._

_Dalma then gestured at something far on the other side of the wide grassy field. _

_The young boy turned to look at whatever Dalma was gesturing at, and promptly felt his mouth fall open in shock._

_There was a huge structure of a city built with white marble resting against a tall mountain. A smaller village was built some way from the tall structure, but the houses in that village were made out of the same white marble as the city that towered over it. _

_It was magnificent to look at._

'' _Minas Tirith.'' Dalma spoke up softly with a smile as she stood beside the dark haired boy. She was feeling slight frustration at not being able to understand whatever the language was that the boy was speaking, but she wasn't about to let it show._

_She pointed at the smaller village said:'' Osgiliath!''_

'' _Minas Tirith?'' Akame wondered inwardly. ''Osgiliath?''_

_He jumped slightly when Dalma put a hand on his wrist and started leading him through the field towards the smaller village of white marble and dozens of flags flapping in the wind._

_..._

_It took years for Tora Akame to recover the use of his Sharingan and chakra coils. _

_At first even the most simple of tasks, like the tree climbing and substitution technique, was too much of a mountain to climb. And just as difficult, it had turned out, was to learn the language spoken in Gondor. _

_But once he had his Sharingan, he was able to copy the words spoken, and written, and thus he learned to speak and write the language more easily._

_But it wasn't the only thing he had discovered that he could learn. He had discovered what love was all about to a person. _

_But it wasn't just anyone he had fallen in love with, but the girl, now young woman, with whom he had ended up living with after she had found him laying on the fields lightly injured and disorientated._

_But when Akame and Dalma discovered that they actually bore feelings towards each, it was difficult for the two of them to ask Dalma's father and mother for permission to marry._  
_Akame had been adopted into the family after Dalma had introduced him to her parents all those years ago so it was understandable why he was nervous. _

_But when he finally picked up the courage to ask the mother and father, he was surprised at how accepting Dalma's parents had been._

_Dalma's and Akame's wedding took place on the first day of spring. It may have been a small wedding, like it usually was amongst the families with very little wealth, but it felt more warm and homely than the celebrations that had been held within the houses of Akame's clan._

_Not long after the wonderful wedding in Osgiliath, Akame discovered a way to create a portal of his own which would take him back to his own world. But not for long, he had decided, for he had come to enjoy his life in Osgiliath with Dalma, her parents and the friends he had become acquainted with over the years. He wanted to return to that life after meeting up with his own parents._

_Dalma, who had been waiting for an opportunity to meet her husband's family, left on the journey with Akame._

_But when she met Tora Haruto and Tora Akane face to face, she was shocked and upset at the cold greeting she received from them._

'' _No son of mine will stay as a husband to a stable-man's daughter, especially not a woman that comes from a different dimension!'' Haruto had spoken in a disatisfied tone, when Akame had explained that he and Dalma were married._

'' _What is there in Dalma that you will not accept?'' Akame had grinded out between clenched teeth as he stepped in front of his father with his hands clenched into fists._

'' _She is not from a wealthy family, Akame.'' Haruto answered in a calm, icy tone. '' I will not have the 'Tora- clans' blood tainted by some stable-girl.''_

'' _She is not a stable-girl to me, father!'' Akame growled out in anger.'' I LOVE her, and she loves me! We are happy together!''_

'' _But I do not accept this marriage.'' Haruto said icily. He motioned to several of his clan members. '' Kill the woman!'' he ordered._

_Dalma paled at these words and backed away towards the front door. She closed her eyes as her husband fought the men and slew them all to protect her. When she opened her eyes, she nearly threw up in disgust at the sight of the wooden floor swimming in blood and the ten dead corpses lying motionless by her husband's feet._  
_-_

_Her husband stood in front of his father, his breathing quick and harsh from the violent battle._

_Akame felt his heart racing from the exertion of the battle, and the fiery anger he felt towards his father that moment. He spoke no more as he stomped over to Dalma and circled an arm around his wife's shoulder before doing the hand-signs for teleportation._

_Akame returned to Osgiliath with Dalma that same day, and wasn't seen walking the paths of his dimension again; well, not when he was a living being that is._

_..._

_Akame joined the Last Alliance years later with two of his eldest sons, Akatora and Denahi._  
_The once member of the 'Tora' clan and his second born son, Akatora, survived the war and returned to Gondor, but his eldest son had lost his life when The Dark Lord Sauron had arrived at the battlefield wearing his gruesome armor the color of deep black that had seemed to suck whatever small light ventured into the land of Mordor._

_As the years went by, Akame's children found wives and husbands whom continued his legacy by baring him grandchildren._

_But as the generations went by, the blood of the ''Tora'' clan began to fade like the blood of Numenor._

_On the year 1241 of the Third Age, when Bilbo found the One Ring in Gollum's cave, only a small number of the ''Tora'' clan still walked on the land of Middle Earth; albeit in even smaller numbers. They had scattered throughout the lands of Middle Earth._

_But even in death Akame's story had not ended. _

_Feeling that he still had much to accomplish, Akame still roamed the lands of Middle- Earth as a spirit. And at times he crossed over to his dimension to see how everything had changed._

_In time, he sensed that Middle-Earth, the land he had once strove to protect was in danger. The spirit knew he needed someone else from his world to discover the beauty and serenity of the land in order to protect it._

_He chose Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. _

_They were the two young ninjas trained by the two great Sannins, Jiraiya and Tsunade.__He chose them, because their character reminded him so much of the friends he had once known in his own dimension as a young boy._

_Because he had crossed over to his dimension several times the past fourteen years, Akame had been able to see how Naruto's life had been since the day the Kyuubi was sealed in him._

_He felt bad at how Naruto had been treated as a child and though things had turned for the better, the boy was still hated amongst the villagers of Konoha, and hunted by the Akatsuki for what was sealed in him. _

_Because of this, he wanted to give Naruto a real taste of what it would be like to live in a place where he wasn't going to be hated like in Konohagakure._

_As for Sakura, he wanted her to get a taste of adventure and to forget the Sasuke Uchiha who traded his loyalty for his village for power so that he would be able to seek vengeance for his clan's massacre. But there was also another reason for Akame choosing Sakura as the second person. The Uchiha boy was much too similar in character to Tora Haruto, Akame's father, which disgusted the spirit._

_''The girl wouldn't have been happy as his wife if Sasuke ever returned to Konohagakure.'' Akame had thought._

_But in order for the plan Akame had created in his head to succeed, the member of the 'Tora' clan needed someone who had the Sharingan to make everything possible._  
_Because Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke were out of the question, he chose Hatake Kakashi whose Sharingan had been given to him by the man's deceased team-mate, Uchiha Obito._

_The day Naruto left on his training trip with Jiraiya, Akame showed himself in one of Kakashi's dream worlds in spirit- form. He told the jounin what his own created Sharingan was able to do and to ask him to become his apprentice._

_Kakashi accepted the man's reasoning, and strove hard to unlock the powers of Tora Akame's sharingan._

_Every night since that day Akame appeared in Kakashi's dreams, guiding him into unlocking the powers of this strange Sharingan._

_But even when Kakashi worked hard every day, he was still unable to open up a portal that would take a person to Middle- Earth by the time Naruto Uzumaki returned to Konohakagure with the Toad- Sennin, Jiraiya._

_Seeing this fault in his planning, Tora Akame took over the Copy-ninja's mind and body during the mission to rescue the Sand Villages's Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara, and thus was able to open up a portal that sucked Naruto and Sakura into the dimension of Middle Earth._

_It did bother the spirit to use his apprentice this way, since Kakashi felt and knew what was happening the whole time and yet was powerless to stop it from happening, but Akame knew it was for the best if Middle- Earth was saved._

**_End of Prologue_**

_**Tora: Means tiger. The sign' tiger' is used in fire jutsus.**_**  
**_**Akame: 'Means 'red eye'**_**  
**_**Akane: It is the japanese word for the 'madder' plant Rubia cordifloria)**_**  
**_**Haruto: Means "spring, person". It also has other meanings depending on the Kanji used**_**  
**_**Author note: I hope this prologue gives more closure to whom the woman was that Tora Akame fell in love with.**_**  
**_**And I really need to build up more of a back-bone for constructive critisism. It was childish and cowardly of me to have taken the story out of , so forgive me for my foolishness.**_


	2. Chapter 2 Ninjas and Hobbits

**Chapter 2 Ninjas and Hobbits**

******Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien!**

******No money is being made out of this story!**

**Chapter summary: Naruto, Sakura and Gandalf arrive in the village of the Shire.**

**...**

If you were to venture to the lands located northwestern Middle-earth, you would find a very peaceful and bountiful land that was inhabited by the most queerest of folks.

It was called the Shire.

Because of the land's location, it was an ideal place to grow different kinds of crops; even mushrooms which were loved by the queer little folk living there. The little folk called themselves Hobbits, but were known as Halflings among the humans, or Bigfolk like the hobbits called them.

The hobbits were odd sort of creatures with short legs, round jovial faces, slightly pointy ears and their large feet were covered in fine, short fur. They were also known to be fat or round in the stomach.

Hobbits are also known to be unadventurous beings that enjoy eating, smoking pipe- weed and drinking ale. But where their hearts truly lay, is in peace, quiet and in everything that grows. Every hobbit hole had some sort of garden which they tended with care and love.

Well, unadventurous as they were most of the times, there could be exceptions…

On September 14th, a handsome dark haired hobbit by the name of Frodo Baggins snuck away from his uncle's house to enjoy the nicely cool wind that was making the leaves in the trees rustle; and away from all the hustle and bustle that came with the excitement of the news that Bilbo Baggins was going to hold a magnificent birthday party.

For on that day his dear Uncle Bilbo's birthday was going to be celebrated with much enthusiasm.

He sighed in contentment as he lay on the grass with a very interesting book in hand, and his back resting against the trunk of a thick tree. When the sound of singing reached his ears Frodo quickly jumped to his feet and tore through the underbrush towards the very familiar voice. A smile of joy was plastered on his face.

...

Gandalf the Grey was inwardly chuckling as he continued to sing his most favorite song, whilst riding a horse- wagon down the road towards a place called the Westfarthing.

He, of course, could sense the hobbit hurrying to meet him. It had been such a long time since he had last seen the boy and that was the reason he was happy to finally reunite with him. Sending a quick glance behind him, he smiled as he saw the eyes of the companions he had picked up from the road two weeks earlier, darting in every direction of the road to catch sight of the Shire.

The two youngsters were riding behind him on the wagon, squirming to find a comfortable position amongst all the packages full of different sized fireworks that he had loaded into the small wagon to be brought to the Shire for Bilbo's birthday.

'' _The road goes ever on and on…Down from the door where it began…Now far ahead the road has gone…And I must follow if I can... ''_

Naruto's ears twitched as he heard the soft footfalls of a small person. Standing up in the wagon he squinted through the brightness of the sun shining into his eyes to see a person tearing towards them through the underbrush. His eyes widened in wonder as his eyes caught the first ever glimpse of the wondrous creatures that called themselves Hobbits.

From what The Kyuubi- vessel could see from a distance, this hobbit had very dark, curly hair and he was quite chubby around the tummy. And he was short. Very short!

Gandalf turned in his seat and grinned at the ninja. He had expected the kind of reaction the boy was giving.

'' It's Frodo, the hobbit I told you about. The child Bilbo adopted when the poor child lost his parents.'' he said quietly, so that only Naruto and Sakura, who sat up straighter to see the approaching figure, heard what he said.

'' He's a little on the chubby side, but he does have a handsome face!'' Sakura said quietly.  
Gandalf chuckled quietly.

'' And I don't?'' Naruto asked, pouting slightly.

'' Your face features are more boyish than manly. And your usually more irritating than wise.'' Sakura answered, giggling at the affronted look on his team-mate's face.

'' Sakura- chan!'' he muttered, looking embarrassed.

Gandalf gave another chuckle, this time at the blonde's expense.

Naruto was about to retort, when Sakura tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the small ledge above the road. The young man turned and saw Frodo Baggins appearing from behind the trees.

The hobbit stopped at the edge of the ledge. He may have looked upset, but those who take great care in understanding true emotions, will have noticed its true meaning.  
And so it was in truth, that Frodo Baggins was happy and excited to see the wizard again after so long.

"You're late!'' the hobbit pointed out, tapping his foot on the grass and doing it so well that Sakura almost burst out laughing.

The hobbit was giving her an illusion of her own mother tapping her foot on the ground whilst scolding her six year old sister, Kougyoku.

Gandalf pulled on the reins and stopped the wagon." A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins," he said, " and nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."

A moment of silence came over the group. Naruto shared a confused glance with his teammate whom looked just as bewildered.

'' Uhh, it's probably some kind of inside joke or something.'' he whispered to Sakura, whom nodded back. He turned to look at the wizard as Gandalf started chuckling quietly.

Frodo couldn't help but start grinning, and then Gandalf's chuckles turned to full-fledged laughter.

Then Frodo began laughing along with him.

"It's wonderful to see you, Gandalf!" he exclaimed excitedly as he jumped off the ledge and into the front seat of the wagon to hug the wizard.

Gandalf returned the hobbit's show of affection. "You didn't think I would miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday?" he questioned the hobbit, chuckling.

Frodo smiled at the wizard, and then his gaze turned to the two young ninjas who were watching the two of them with slight amusement.

'' Hello there. May I ask for your names?'' he asked politely, though there was a very curious look in his large blue eyes.

He had never seen any of the Big Folk in the Shire before, except when some of them passed through the far borders of his land, and these two looked so very different.

The young woman, whom looked about sixteen, had short hair that ended at her shoulders and was a vibrant shade of pink (which was very strange to begin with). And not to mention that there was a lot of skin showing from what she was wearing.

She was lean and looked to be in very good shape.

'' _Agh, stop thinking something so perverted_, Frodo!'' Frodo squawked inwardly as a warm blush appeared on his cheeks. He couldn't help but see her as beautiful.

And the boy was almost entirely clothed in bright orange, save for the strange headband on his forehead, his sandals and the slight amount of black in his coat. Well, everything in him was something the hobbit had never seen before, especially the six whisker marks on his cheeks.

'' Oh, hello Frodo Baggins.'' Sakura said, bowing to the hobbit. She grinned slightly in amusement as she noticed the blush on the hobbit's cheeks '' My name is Sakura Haruno.''

'' And I'm Naruto Uzumaki.'' answered Naruto. He, too, bowed at the hobbit.

'' Nice to meet you two, and welcome to the Shire.'' Frodo said kindly, bowing to them.'' Since you are coming with Gandalf, I'd guess that you would be joining my uncle's birthday party.''

'' If it's alright with him.'' Sakura answered, looking a little sheepish.'' I mean, we joined Gandalf in the aftermath of a very strange situation, and we certainly weren't invited to begin with.''

Naruto nodded, showing that he agreed with his team-mate.

'' Oh, I'm sure it's alright with Uncle Bilbo. I'm sure there will be a lot of uninvited people coming with a party this big.'' Frodo answered, chuckling.

'' Why do you say that there will be uninvited hobbits coming to your uncle's birthday party?'' Sakura asked the hobbit curiously.

'' Heh, well, there will be lots of fireworks. Those light- shows haven't been seen in the Shire since a century ago. '' Frodo said, chuckling slightly.'' And then there is the tradition that the person who's birthday is celebrated, hands out gifts to everyone invited. Some days ago a party of dwarves came to the Shire with a wagon loaded with an assortment of baggage. And of course there will be all sorts of delicious food and beverages to go around. We hobbits love to eat!''

'' Is that so? I've never heard that the person that's supposed to be celebrated needs to hand out gifts!'' Naruto exclaimed, blinking his eyes in confusion.'' I would have thought it to be the other way around!''

'' Ha, ha!'' Frodo laughed out loud, seeing Naruto's bewildered expression.'' We hobbits have customs that are very different from yours, I'm sure!''

'' You're sure right about that, Frodo.'' Sakura said, shaking her head.'' I hate to think how much the gifts cost in total if he is going to give one to everyone. How many are invited to the party, Frodo?''

Frodo uttered another laugh.'' One hundred and forty- four people; well, one hundred and forty six if you two are going to be entering the party.''

'' WHAT?'' Naruto and Sakura exclaimed in unison. Their eyes were bulging out in complete bafflement.

'' But that's gonna take a total of one hundred and forty- six gifts!'' Sakura stuttered out weakly.

'' There is a reason for us having so many guests.'' Frodo answered with a smile, not at all fazed by the two human's baffled demeanor's.'' My birthday is on the same day as my uncle's. Which also means that I'm hereby cordially inviting you two to celebrate my thirty- third birthday- party that will take place tonight.''

'' Happy birthday, Frodo.'' Naruto answered with a grin.'' I'm excited and honored to be attending the party! And it will be an honor to finally meet your uncle. He has reached a very respectable age indeed.''

Sakura turned to look at her teammate for a moment with a slightly sad expression on her face. She knew why Naruto was so excited. His poor teammate had never actually joined a birthday party in Konohagakure, but it hadn't been because he hadn't wanted to attend. It was just that no one had ever bothered to invite him to a birthday party.

'' Well, it seems like you three have become friends. Shall we all continue our journey to Bag End?'' Gandalf spoke up, before Frodo noticed Sakura's saddened expression. '' Do you want to join us for the ride, Frodo?''

Frodo immediately scrambled to the back of the wagon to socialize with the two ninjas.

The two ended up trying to find room for the hobbit to sit by scooting over to the sides of the wagon without crushing any of the fireworks. After a few faint crashes caused by the toppling fireworks hitting the floor of the wagon, hands and legs bumping into each other and a few curses from Naruto, they were seated into the wagon quite comfortably with the two ninja's legs hanging out of the back of the wagon.

As the four of them rode through the roads of the Shire, Naruto and Sakura gave Frodo a short, but good description of themselves and how they came to be in Middle Earth and in company with the wizard Gandalf, but not so that they revealed anything important of their ninja life.  
And not a word was spoken about Tora Akame whom had appeared in their dream world two days after they had been brought to Middle Earth to tell them about his part in bringing them to Middle Earth, but not the reason why he had brought them to Middle Earth in the first place. They had both been quite upset that their sensei, Hatake Kakashi and his Mangekyo Sharingan had been the sole executor of Tora Akame's plan to bring them to Middle Earth.

Frodo nodded as the two humans finished their descriptions of themselves.'' But hey, what are those whisker like marks on your cheeks, Naruto?'' he asked innocently.

Gandalf and Sakura suddenly flinched at this question. The two had expected Frodo to ask such a thing, since the whisker marks stood out so boldly that anyone would have the urge to ask Naruto about them.

_''But it really wasn't_,'' the wizard and kunoichi thought,''_ a good topic to discuss with the Baggins._ _Not at all!''_

Sakura nervously gripped the side of the wagon so hard it almost broke under her hold. And if anyone was looking, they would have seen Gandalf's whitened knuckles as he held on to the reins with more pressure than needed.

But Naruto just smiled slightly.'' Ah, these?'' he asked pointing one hand at the three whiskered marks on his left cheek.'' Their just birthmarks. I've had them since I was a baby.''

''Really? I've never seen such strange birthmarks.'' Frodo exclaimed thoughtfully.'' But you and Sakura are already strange looking to begin with.''

Gandalf and Sakura both uttered long sighs of relief at Naruto's answer. The tension flowed out of them like water, and Sakura never even thought of snapping at Frodo for his comment.

Naruto, though, face faulted at Frodo's words. He coughed slightly to clear his throat.'' What do you mean by strange to begin with, Frodo?'' he asked.

'' Well, you two dress very strangely.'' Frodo spoke up calmly.'' And I've never seen anyone with such vibrant shade of pink in their hair.''

'' Hey, I like the color orange!'' Naruto muttered out, folding his arms over his chest. _''Just how many times have I already heard someone comment on the way I dress myself?_'' he wondered inwardly, groaning.

Frodo, Gandalf and Sakura burst out laughing at the perturbed expression that had appeared on Naruto's face.

'' Heh, heh!'' Frodo chuckled. He then turned to address the wizard.'' Oh, I forgot to ask if there is anything interesting you can tell that's happened in the outside world! Will you tell me everything?" the hobbit asked with excitement in his voice.

" Everything?" asked the amused wizard. "Far too eager and curious for a hobbit you are. Most unnatural! Haven't you gotten enough excitement for today? '' Gandalf huffed.

Frodo crossed his arms. The look on his face told the wizard everything.

"Well, what can I tell you?'' Gandalf sighed.'' Life in the wide world goes on as much as it has this past age. Full of its own comings and goings…''

They crossed a bridge which took them to a small marketplace. Sakura and Naruto couldn't help but stare at the sight of all the hobbits doing their different chores, lying on the ground napping or eating or drinking ale, or trying to get their stubborn animals to move forward towards wherever they wanted to take them.

'...' scarcely aware of the existence of the hobbit; for which I am very thankful." Gandalf finished, looking around at the bustling crowd in the marketplace.

The four of them rode through the town of Hobbiton. There were hobbits everywhere they looked. Some were outside gardening or cleaning their porches and some were just lying around doing nothing.

'' It's so beautiful out here and so peaceful.'' Sakura said softly, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the warm sun.

'' Heheheh, wait till the kids see Gandalf coming. That will be the end to the peace and quiet.'' Frodo joked, winking at the pink haired human girl.

Frodo's words were proven right when they heard the voices of small children crying out Gandalf's name. Soon there was at least a dozen tiny hobbit children running up to the wagon. They waited with interest for Gandalf to set off a few fireworks, but it looked like they were going to be greatly disappointed.

Both Sakura and Naruto felt a little sorry for the poor kids. They looked so sad.

As they continued riding slowly through the Shire towards Bag End, they watched the other hobbits putting everything ready for Bilbo's birthday party.

Frodo had left the cart and was now sitting next to Gandalf on the front seat.

The kids were also following them and some even wanted to climb into the wagon. Both Sakura and Naruto soon had several kids squirming in their laps. It was no problem to either of them, except for the few unwanted incidents involving small elbows, or feet pressing into Naruto's groin.

Sakura couldn't help but giggle, when Naruto gave another small yelp of pain, and gently pushed Rose's foot from his aching groin.

Naruto just muttered a small curse in his native language when he heard his team-mate laughing at him.

''Well, if it isn't the preparations for a long expected party!" Gandalf noted, catching Naruto's and Sakura's attention. He was amused as he watched the adult hobbits raise a banner that said '' _Happy Birthday Bilbo Baggins_'' with great effort.

There were also tents being set up and other chores. Naruto grinned as he watched the hobbits congratulate each other for a job well done.

''So how is the old rascal?" Gandalf asked Frodo, which had everyone's attention shift to him again. "I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence."

"You know Bilbo.", said Frodo, "He's got the entire place in an uproar."

"Well, that should please him." Gandalf huffed, amused.

"Half the Shire has been invited." Frodo continued, looking very thoughtful.

"Oh, good gracious me." Gandalf exclaimed, faking his surprise.

"He's up to something." Frodo pointed out.

"Oh really?" Gandalf exclaimed evasively, again faking a surprised expression.

"All right then, keep your secrets." Frodo exclaimed, not at all believing that Gandalf was actually surprised.

Gandalf just laughed.

Naruto and Sakura shared a glance with each other. They were both trying to muffle their laughter with their hands which earned them strange looks from the hobbit kids perched on their laps. The conversation that had taken place had just sounded so similar to those one sided conversations their sensei, Hatake Kakashi sometimes had with the green spandex wearing, mop haired over excited Maito Gai whom always warbled about the '' _power of youth' _in different situations.

But it wasn't nearly as colorful.

"Before you came along, we Bagginses were very well thought of." Frodo went on, unaware what the two ninjas found so greatly amusing.

"Indeed?" Gandalf again asked, winking at Sakura and Naruto whose shoulders were shaking from laughter by now.

Naruto had graciously told him several incidents involving the so called Konoha's Green Beast during their journey to the Shire; and very vividly which had given the wizard nightmares for several days.

"Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected." Frodo finished his speech and shot a small glare at the two ninjas who were by now holding onto each other to keep from keeling over the side of the cart and accidentally hurting the children.

Knowing very well that he had been the one to insist that Bilbo would be the one going on the dangerous adventure with the dwarves, Gandalf decided to humor the two ninjas even more. He had told them about the incident with the Smaug; a dragon who once lived in the Lonely Mountain.

"If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved." he said, trying not to grin. "All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door."

'' HAH! I'd eat my sandals if anything that you're saying now was true! '' Naruto exclaimed loudly. '' How unyouthful of you to try and trick Frodo, Gandalf the Grey!''

His words sent him and Sakura into howls of laughter.

Gandalf shuddered and gripped the reins so hard his knuckles turned white again.

Frodo had to grin at the strange use of words and the sight of his new friends squirming with laughter.

But the hobbit children stared at them in wonder. They were all much too young to understand that the adults were joking around with each other.

"Well, whatever you did, you've been officially labeled a _' disturber of the peace._" Frodo stated. ''And, why did you call Gandalf unyouthful, Naruto?''

The question of course sent his new friends laughing even harder. Gandalf looked even more disturbed.

'' You don't want to know, Frodo! You really don't! That boy can tell stories very vividly. I was waking up from nightmares for several days after Naruto had told me about the Konoha's Green Beasts.'' Gandalf answered, shaking his head.

Frodo looked even more confused.'' _Green Beasts of Konoha? Who are they and why was Gandalf so disturbed to hear about them?'' _he thought inwardly.

But the interesting truth was that if he had known the truth of the so called ''Green_ Beasts_'' of Konoha, he would have been just as disturbed.

Sighing, Gandalf turned to address Naruto and Sakura who were having a small conversation with the children sitting in the wagon. Several kids were also jogging behind the wagon. ''_Kids seem to have a lot of energy, don't they?'' _he pointed out to himself.

'' How about you two let those kids off the wagon, Naruto and Sakura. I'm getting a few glares from Mr. Proudfoot there.'' he then asked the two humans.

Naruto and Sakura looked to their left, seeing a middle aged, blond haired hobbit grimacing at the old wizard.

'' How unyouthful of Mr Proudfoot!'' Naruto pointed out, loud enough for the old hobbit to hear what he said.

Mr Proudfoot looked quite confused which sent Naruto and Sakura sniggering again.

Gandalf just sighed in exasperation.'' How many times must you repeat that, Naruto Uzumaki! '' he groaned.'' Am I not disturbed enough as it is.? Must you purposely try to make me loose my temper on you?''

'' Then how about I…'' the boy began with a grinning face but yelped in pain when he was hit by the wizard's staff.

'' Now don't even start warbling about the power of youth thing!'' the wizard warned, giving the ninja a glare.'' You can be very annoying when you want to be, Uzumaki! Just get the kids off the wagon before Mrs Proudfoot brandishes a broom on us!''

'' What's the matter, Gandalf? Can't handle a joke?'' Naruto retorted with a smirk, which earned him another whack on the head much to Frodo's and Sakura's hilarity.

'' Apparently not.'' Naruto sniggered under his breath as he helped Sakura deposit the kids on the road one by one. Some were being very reluctant to let go of the ninjas.

The Kyuubi- vessel was grinning despite having gotten two hits on the skull from Gandalf's hard staff.

'' See you later.'' Sakura said gently, waving a hand at the two hobbit girls, Rose Boffin and Berry Bracegirdle, who had sat on her lap

'' Bye!'' Naruto exclaimed, giving little Luna Proudfeet a hug before lowering her to the ground.

It warmed his heart to see so many of the kids trust him. Most of the younger kids in Konoha had been told to stay away from him by their parents. The only kids he really had gotten to know had been Konohomaru, the third Hokage's grandson, and his friends Moegi and Udon.

They watched as the children stayed back to watch the wagon roll further and further with glum looks on their faces.

Then, suddenly, a small set of fireworks went off with a loud '' **BANG!''**

Both Naruto and Sakura yelped in fright and almost fell off the wagon, but the kids cheered excitedly at the sight of the fireworks.

Gandalf laughed at his little trick, and so did Mr Proudfoot before his wife gave him a disapproving look.

Frodo almost fell out of his seat at seeing the expressions on his friends' faces.

'' Gandalf, please don't do that again whilst were in the wagon!'' Sakura gasped, clutching at her chest.

Naruto felt like throttling the laughing hobbit sitting next to Gandalf; and why not the laughing wizard as well.

'' You were scared, weren't you?'' Frodo pointed out, holding his sides in pain for laughing so hard.

'' There is scared,'' Naruto muttered, blushing in embarrassment, '' and then there's surprised.''

'' And the two of you were both SCARED aaannnddd SURPRISED! '' Frodo retorted slyly, still laughing.

'' _Oh, were we, Frodo? Your dead!'' _Naruto exclaimed inwardly_. _He scrambled to his feet and reached out with his hands. The hobbit found himself in a friendly headlock.'' Frodo, shut up!'' Naruto growled playfully, applying enough pressure that his new friend felt it; but not enough to hurt the little hobbit.

Frodo yiped and tried to struggle free, laughing breathlessly.

Gandalf '' harrumphed'' at the sight but looked very amused at their antics.

'' How... unyouthful... of you, Naruto.'' the hobbit gasped out, squirming in the ninja's grasp.

Gandalf face faulted.

'' Not you too, Frodo!'' he moaned.' _The next time someone says those words, be it on me or anyone else, they won't be able to sit for a week.'' _he thought darkly.

As soon as Sakura had rescued the hobbit from her team-mate's clutches, a friendly silence came over the group as they rode down the road for several minutes, until Frodo decided to go on his way.

Turning to Gandalf and his companions, he said: '' Gandalf, I'm glad your back. And it was nice to meet you Sakura and Naruto.''

"So am I, dear boy," Gandalf said as Naruto and Sakura enthusiastically shock hands with the hobbit.  
Frodo then jumped off the wagon, waved at them all one more time before walking off.

''So am I." Gandalf repeated quietly to himself. He and the two ninjas watched the hobbit go for a few minutes before Gandalf urged his horse to move forward again.

...

For a while the three companions rode in silence, but then finally the Grey cloaked wizard broke the silence.

'' Naruto,'' the Istari spoke up, catching the blond boy's attention,'' I'm glad you didn't break news about Kyuubi to Frodo. Such news shouldn't be told freely to anyone.''

'' I know that, Gandalf.'' Naruto muttered, looking down at his hands.'' That's why I didn't tell you about Kyuubi on the day we met. We needed to trust you and thus I told you about it a week after we became acquainted.

He turned to look straight up into the wizard's blue eyes.'' And I trust you as much as I trust Iruka- sensei, Ero-sennin and Tsunade- baachan. Thank you, for accepting me for who I am, Gandalf.''

Gandalf smiled, and lowered a hand on the ninja's shoulder. He spoke no words, but his expression showed that he was taken by Naruto's words of trust. He vowed to keep the boy's secret safe.

Gandalf, Sakura and Naruto continued their ride to Bag End that was situated on a small hilltop.

Bag End was the fanciest house in all the Shire, but it wasn't overly extravagent.

Once Gandalf had pulled his horse, Chestnut, to a halt at the front gate the two ninja quickly jumped down from the wagon. For a moment the two ninjas just stood on the spot, staring open mouthed at the cozy house painted in white at the front but like with all the other hobbit houses, it was built half underground and grass was growing all around the roof.

'' Is this Bilbo's house, Gandalf?'' Naruto asked the old man. He was a bit nervous. He couldn't help but wonder if Bilbo was an old grumpy hobbit who was wary of strangers like old Mr Proudfoot.

Seeing his nervousness, Gandalf put a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder. '' Don't worry, boy. Bilbo's a very nice hobbit. I'm sure you will be welcomed here.''

He then opened the gate-hatch and gently pushed the two ninjas through the opening.

Sakura nearly laughed as she saw the sign that said, _'No admittance, except on Party Business'._

Apparently Bilbo had been getting unwelcome people coming into his property.

The two ninjas followed Gandalf to the front door of Bag End and chuckled as the wizard knocked thrice on the door with his staff.

He was answered with a loud shout of: "No thank you! We don't want any more visitors, well-wishers, or distant relations!"

The hobbit sounded annoyed at the interruption of whatever he was doing.

"And what about very old friends," asked Gandalf, ''and some of his companions?''

He was answered by the opening of the front door.

Naruto felt his nervousness slip away at the sight of the hobbit. Despite his clothes being so well made (which was a sign of wealth), the look on his face showed kindness and curiosity.

Bilbo stood there on the doorstep for a moment, taking in the sight of the wizards strangely curbed companions before remembering his manners. '' Ah, so these are your companions, Gandalf. Two of the Big Folk, what a surprise! And what are your names, may I ask? ''

'' My name is Sakura Haruno, Mr Bilbo.'' Sakura answered, taking the hand Bilbo was offering her and shook it.

'' Naruto Uzumaki.'' Naruto said, bowing to Bilbo before shaking his hand as well.

'' Well it's an honor to meet such good mannered people.'' Bilbo chuckled, then leaned forward a bit.'' Would you mind awfully, if I go greet an old friend, hmmm?

'' Not at all, Mr Bilbo.'' Sakura answered, grinning.

Naruto just smiled and gently pushed the hobbit towards the old wizard who was waiting patiently for his turn.

"My dear Gandalf!" Bilbo exclaimed as he happily hugged the wizard.

'' Bilbo Baggins.'' Gandalf said gently, returning the hug.'' Good to see you. One- hundred and eleven years old, who would have believed it?"

Gandalf than pushed Bilbo back slightly and put his hands on his shoulders, "You haven't aged a day." he said, noting that Bilbo looked the same as he did the last time he had seen him.

It greatly puzzled the old wizard.

Bilbo gave a slightly nervous laugh at the way Gandalf stared at him, but soon the tension was broken when Gandalf gave an amused chuckle.

Bilbo laughed with him before turning around and ushering Naruto and Sakura into the house.

'' Come on, come in! '' he beckoned to Gandalf over his shoulder. '' Welcome, welcome to you all!''

He closed the door and took Gandalf's staff and hat. '' Oh, here we are. '' He said. '' Would you like some tea, or maybe something a little stronger? I've got a few bottles of the old Wineyard left. A very good year Twelve ninety-six was, I must say! And the wine is almost as old as I am, heh heh!

Bilbo put Gandalf's hat on the coat-rack and set the staff against the wall before bustling to the kitchen. '' It was laid down by my father! Let's say we open one, eh?''

'' Tea please! I don't drink alcohol!'' Sakura called out to the hobbit, very amused and grateful for the hobbits enthusiastic hospitality.

'' Same for me please!'' Naruto echoed, looking around the house in wonder. Every corridor he turned to look at in the house seemed to be round in the walls and ceiling.

'' Just tea, thank you." Gandalf answered as he turned and bumped into a chandelier." Ooh!" he exclaimed as he stopped the chandelier from spinning.

Naruto chuckled and Sakura grinned at the comical sight.

Grunting, Gandalf turned towards the lounge and bumped into a wooden beam.

'' HO!'' he exclaimed and grabbed his forehead. Sakura joined Naruto in chuckling at the wizard's expense.

'' You know, Bilbo should really do a few changes in his ceiling, right Gandalf?'' Sakura giggled.  
Gandalf laughed at his own expense before wandering into the lounge where a fire was burning in the fireplace. Naruto and Sakura followed him inside.

Sakura was soon engrossed in a map of Middle Earth while Naruto stood by the fireplace looking at the paintings on the wall.

All the while they heard Bilbo's voice coming from the other room_._

'' _I was expecting you sometime last week but I had no idea you would be bringing visitors. You could have informed me about that then I would have had more food to give out. Well, not that it matters for you since you come when you want and go as you please. Always have and always will. We've only got cold chicken and bit of pickle…then we've got some cheese here and, we've got raspberry jam. Oh, oh wait there's apple tart as well… "_

Unfazed by Bilbo's continuing ranting about food, Gandalf went over to a table where Sakura was looking at a book and picked up a map that had been used in Bilbo's adventure with the Dragon Smaug.

Moments later, Bilbo entered his lounge to address his guests. "I can make you all some eggs if you like. Eh…Gandalf? Gandalf?"

It looked like Gandalf had suddenly disappeared from the house for Bilbo only saw Naruto and Sakura still looking around the lounge.

"Just tea, thank you." said Gandalf from behind him from the kitchen, surprising the hobbit very much.

"Oh right.''Bilbo said, looking into the lounge again and calling to the two ninjas.

"Oy, Sakura, Naruto, come to the kitchen for tea and food if you like! Oh, and Gandalf, you don't mind if I eat, do you?" he said with his mouth full of cheese.

"Oh, not at all." Gandalf answered casually, just as the ninjas came inside the tiny kitchen and sat down on chairs surrounding the small table.

A sudden loud knock was heard by the door that made Bilbo choke on a piece of food in his mouth and lean against the wall so that he wouldn't be spotted by the intruders.

"Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins!" a woman's voice was heard through the window.

Bilbo stiffened, then slowly crept to the window to look outside.'' S... Sackville Bagginses.' he muttered, sounding nervous.

'' Who are the Sackville Baggi… mmpphh?!'' Naruto was quickly shushed by Bilbo's hand over his mouth.

"I'm not at home." Bilbo whispered, looking nervously out the window. '' Their relatives whom have never forgiven me for living this long. I wish to be unnoticed by them, so please speak with a quieter voice, Mr Naruto.'

'' Yes, Bilbo.'' Naruto answered, once the hobbit removed his hand from his mouth

'' So I suppose they were the reason you put up that sign that said: _'No admittance, except_ _on Party Business'' _on the gate, Bilbo?'' Sakura pointed out, sounding amused.'' The sign doesn't seem to be doing a good job at keeping the Sackville Bagginses out from your yard!''

Bilbo rolled his eyes at the young kunoichi before sighing in exasperation.

" Yes, and their driving me mad. Oh, I got to get away from these confounded relatives hanging on the bell all day and never giving me a moment's peace!'' The old hobbit huffed, putting the plate of cheese on the table.'' I want to see mountains again. MOUNTAINS, Gandalf! And then find somewhere quiet where I can finish my book! Oh, tea!"

He grabbed the teapot that was by the kitchen fireplace and brought it to the table.

"So, you mean to go through with your plan, eh?" asked Gandalf enquiringly as Naruto grabbed a few slices of bread and cheese, and a few slices of apple tart for him and Sakura.

They had both been very hungry and the food Bilbo had apparently baked himself smelled absolutely delicious.

"Yes, yes it's all in hand. All the arrangements have been made.'' Bilbo answered as Gandalf reached out to take the top off his cup.

'' Oh right.'' the hobbit muttered absentmindedly at his friend's gesture and poured the tea.

"Frodo suspects something." Gandalf said seriously, wanting Bilbo to know about his nephew being suspicious of whatever his uncle was planning.

"Of course he does!" Bilbo huffed, "He is a Baggins! Not some block-headed Bracegirdle from Hardbuckle."

'' Isn't that a little rude to talk about your neighbors that way, Bilbo?'' Sakura asked, swallowing the piece of bread in her mouth.

'' Ah, you are right, young lady. I was being rude, but also speaking the truth because you see, most hobbits here are not very smart. Some of them hang around in the fields all day handling their precious crop and don't have time to study or read books.'' Bilbo answered, putting the teapot back over the fireplace.

'' Well you can say the same thing about Naruto. His quite a blockhead when his not thinking before he acts.'' Sakura pointed out, grinning. '' Oh, and this bread is really good, Bilbo.''

'' I'm glad you liked it, Sakura!'' Bilbo commented with a smile, just as Naruto turned to look at his team mate with an insulted expression.

The blond looked ready to retort, but Gandalf spoke up before he could open his mouth.

"You will tell Frodo, won't you?" Gandalf inquired.

"Yes, yes! "Answered Bilbo, maybe a little too hurriedly.

"He's very fond of you." Gandalf said softly, looking at Bilbo straight in the eyes.

"I know." Bilbo answered, his voice turning sorrowful. "He'd probably come with me if I asked him. But I think in his heart Frodo's still in love with the Shire. The woods, the fields and the little rivers."

For a while no one spoke, not even Naruto who usually was the loudest of all.

Even though Sakura and Naruto weren't sure what was going on exactly, they felt that it was something that Frodo wasn't going to like.

"I'm old Gandalf.'' Bilbo said, suddenly sounding older and more tired.'' I know I don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart," He felt for something that was inside of his vest pocket. "I feel… thin… sort of stretched like… butter scraped over too much bread."

Gandalf nodded his head, looking thoughtful.

"I need a holiday, a very long holiday.'' Bilbo continued, looking out the window.'' And I don't expect I shall return."

A moment of silence once again followed these words.

''In fact, I mean not to!" finished Bilbo, having made up his choice.

'' But what about Frodo, Bilbo?'' Naruto suddenly joined the conversation. His voice had turned sad.'' I just met him today, but I can tell he loves and admires you Bilbo.''

'' His old enough to take care for himself, Naruto, but don't think I want to cause him pain. I love him like a son. I… I just can't live here in the Shire anymore. I really do want to once again explore the woods of Mirkwood, to visit Lake Town and see the Lonely Mountain again. Please understand!''

For a moment, Naruto just stared at his hands, wondering what to say, then….

'' I never knew my parents, Bilbo. And I guess Frodo was too young to remember his.'' Naruto whispered. He swallowed a lump in his throat.'' Before I became a part of my squad, I used to live in an orphanage in Konoha. I should have been treated like anyone else there but I was punished severely for every little mistake I made. I was always given the least amount of food and I never received any affection or reassurance by the people working at the orphanage,'' he began, speaking more to himself than Bilbo, Gandalf, and Sakura. '' The times I truly was happy there, were when the old man Hokage, our village's leader, came to visit me every once in a while when he had time. When I was six I'd had enough of the treatment I was given at the orphanage. I snuck out of the building during the night and started my life out in the streets. ''

Bilbo hesitantly lowered a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. His expression didn't show it, but he was appalled over what he was hearing about Naruto's childhood. He wondered what had provoked the villagers to act so cruelly towards this young man.

'' I wasn't seen in our village's academy for several weeks after that. I just wanted to be left alone. I even avoided bumping into the old man Hokage because I was afraid that he would be angry at me for leaving the orphanage and having me skip classes in the academy. But he wasn't angry; disappointed, but not angry. He helped me get my own apartment and assisted me in the studies I had missed whilst skipping classes.''

Naruto paused for a moment. He was no longer smiling, and his blue eyes were shining with unshed tears.

Bilbo felt his own eyes moisten as he realized just how important a person the village leader had been to this young man. A friend… a father figure. Or like an old wise grandfather.

'' He sounds like a great man, Naruto. It would be an honor to meet him someday.''

'' He is dead, Bilbo. He died protecting the people in his village some years ago. The year Naruto became a part of the squad he mentioned. ''Gandalf spoke up, puffing out a smoke ring from his mouth. '' He was indeed a good man.''

Bilbo lowered his head and closed his eyes for a moment. So it wasn't just recalling the incidents of his life that was causing the boy the pain. He had lost an important person. '' I'm sorry if my earlier words have somehow made you have the urge to tell me about your childhood, Naruto. You are welcome to stop talking if you so wish.''

'' No… no I don't want to stop what I've already began. '' Naruto choked, squeezing the hand the hobbit had lowered on his shoulder earlier. '' I won't go into detail on what happened during the rest of my academy years before I graduated, but I will tell you that most of the teachers there seldom gave me assistance when I couldn't understand something I was doing in class. And the kids… well I used stupid pranks to get their attention because otherwise I would have been ignored…''

Naruto let out a small laugh, but his blue eyes hadn't lost the sadness in them. '' The smiling mask I usually wore when in contact with people from my village was only there to hide what I truly felt. My true feelings like anger, frustration and sadness were kept bottled up inside of me all day until I finally let them out inside my apartment. I yelled… I cursed… I threw my stuff against the wall of my apartment…''

Naruto paused and took a deep breath. ''Sometimes I even wondered what the point of living was. That it would be so much easier to stop the emotional pain if I just… kill myself… or leave the village. But it was old man Hokage… and later Iruka- sensei, Tsunade –baachan, Jiraya, Kakashi- sensei, and my friends who kept me from making that decision. ''

He paused again and looked down at the table, not wanting to look at Sakura whom he was sure would be shedding tears.'' But now when I've gotten to see the Shire, I feel like I'd want to become a part of the village. The children who rode with me in the wagon saw me as a person, not something to be hated like most of the kids saw me in my village. And though the adults looked at me with suspicion, they weren't looking at me with hate.''

'' Does this mean you want to stay here, Naruto?'' Sakura spoke up quietly, looking down at the warm teacup she held in her hands. Her hands were trembling slightly.

Naruto slowly turned to look at her and was shocked to see tears glistening in his team-mates eyes.'' I do… care for them all.'' he said sadly. '' But my dream was to have everyone in our village accept me for who I am, including the shinobi who are not my friends and the people who are not shinobi. I've always hoped to become stronger. Stronger, so I could prove to everyone that I am needed in our village. To become a respected Hokage. But I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever be respected by the villagers. Maybe I'm just going after foolish dreams!''

'' Foolish dreams? Naruto, since when have you started thinking such morbid thoughts? '' Sakura whispered as she stood up from her chair. Her throat felt suddenly tighter as she waited to hear what Naruto's answer would be.

'' Since a month ago when we visited the Grey Havens with Gandalf.'' Naruto answered softly.

Sakura looked deeply into his teammate's bright blue eyes. It was so painful to find out that Naruto, who had strove so long to be accepted as a ninja in their society, was thinking of abandoning their home in Konohagakure.  
But she was also scared of being left on her own if she decided to leave in the company of Gandalf.  
She was sure that the wizard would find a way for her to get back to her world, but did she really want to go after Sasuke again on her own if Naruto decided to break his word to bring their former teammate back for her? What would everyone who cared for Naruto, think of him if he was to decide on staying in the Shire?''

Sakura's lithe body trembled as she turned away to stare into the flames of the small fireplace in the kitchen.

Naruto stood up from his chair and quietly approached Sakura.

'' You know, if your decision will be to stay in the Shire permanently one day, you will have also broken your vow to bring Sasuke back to the village.'' Sakura stated hoarsely, swallowing a lump in her throat as she felt Naruto's back touching her own.

'' Sakura, if you are really my friend, then you should be able to accept and understand why I have these thoughts on staying in the Shire.'' he said quietly, and Sakura could feel the trembling of his body against her own. '' I haven't made a permanent decision yet; and I'll probably not be making a decision in weeks to come.''

Naruto breathed out a small sigh; his own body trembled in slight agitation for what he was going to say to her next. The words he had mused over since their small party had arrived in the land called Mithlond that was also known as the Grey Havens.

'' Sakura,'' he said softly,'' I'm not telling you this out of spite for Sasuke, but I think you should really question your motives for wanting to become his wife. I mean, he wanted nothing more than to have revenge on his brother for killing his clan, and for that to happen he chose power over loyalty to Konoha! And he knocked you out on that day he left Konoha, didn't he? If he had any feelings towards you, he would have stayed in our village! ''

Sakura uttered a small sob and gripped the hard surface of the rocks that had been used to build the fireplace for a moment before swirling around to face her team-mate.'' He may have left Konoha, Naruto, but he can change! I know he could! If only you would hold to your promise to bring him back!'' she choked out.

Naruto felt his heart plummet to the pit of his stomach. He hadn't expected much of a change in Sakura's feelings towards Sasuke, but he had hoped for a miracle. The childhood crush on Sakura hadn't diminished the slightest during the two years he had travelled with Ero- sennin.

It seemed that winning Sakura's heart was another tall mountain that was no way easy to conquer. It could very well be proven impossible, just as much as getting the villagers of Konohagakure to respect him.  
But instead of saying anything back at her, he moved his arms to encircle his teammate's waist and buried his face in her shoulder. He could feel the cool, salty liquid sliding onto his shoulder as she continued to sob.

Sakura, nor Naruto noticed a grim and silent Gandalf and Bilbo stand up from their chairs and leave the small, cozy kitchen quietly with their mugs of tea in hand.

...

Much, much later when it neared dusk in the Shire, Gandalf and Bilbo were outside by the nice garden filled with bunches of scented red and golden snap-dragons, sunflowers and nasturtiums, enjoying the taste of pipe-weed.

There were also flowers on the turf walls that peeped in at the round windows.

"Old Toby!" exclaimed Bilbo, looking up at the darkening sky, "It's the finest weed in the Southfarthing."  
The old hobbit took a puff from his pipe and blew a smoke ring that began floating in the direction the place where his party was being held.

Gandalf formed his smoke in the shape of a galleon that flew through the ring of smoke.

"Ah!" Bilbo said, his smile wavering a little, "Gandalf, my old friend… this will be a night to remember.''  
He then paused with a frown on his face.'' Well, at least for most people in the Shire. But I can't help but wonder if this day is something those youngsters wish to forget. ''

'' You mean Naruto and Sakura? Well, I'd say not, if you recreate it into something better, Bilbo.'' Gandalf answered, putting a hand on the hobbit's shoulder.'' The party, I mean. And it really wasn't your fault that you brought up a subject that fueled the discussion between Naruto and Sakura. Things like these can happen without any warning. ''

'' I shouldn't have brought something like this up in front of them.'' Bilbo muttered, angry at himself. '' Their too young to listen to an old tottering fool whine about how he's unable to continue living in a too peaceful place. Poor boy! I just can't imagine the reason why the people of his village would treat him so cruelly!''

'' Perhaps it was a good think that this was brought up. At least now they had a chance to talk and sort things out between them. '' Gandalf said evasively, looking back at the house where Naruto was sleeping in Frodo's room, and Sakura was sleeping in Bilbo's room. He had no intentions of giving away the boy's secret to his friend unless the boy was okay with him telling the hobbit.'' Things may be awkward between them for a while but once Sakura realizes just how much she needs another person from their world to stay at her side, she may even decide to stay here in the Shire. ''

'' You have a knack for being right in everything, Gandalf so I trust your judgment. '' Bilbo said quietly, and then paused for a moment before speaking.'' Could you perhaps do me one favor?'' he then asked enquiringly, looking up at the wizard.

'' And what is that, Bilbo?'' Gandalf asked, looking at the hobbit.

'' If something unexpected happens, tell Naruto and Sakura that their very welcome to stay in Bag End. I'm sure Frodo would love some company when I'm away. ''

''What do you mean if something unexpected happens? You're thinking of not telling them yourself, Bilbo Baggins?

What the wizard received in return was silence, as Bilbo stood up and walked back towards the house to get ready for the party and to wake up the two ninjas sleeping in his room.

Gandalf sighed as he stared at the back of the retreating hobbit, a frown marring his face at the strange way his friend was acting

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3 The Party, Prank and the Ring

**Chapter 3 The Party, the Prank and the Ring**

******Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien**

******No money is being made out of this story **

**Chapter Summary: What will happen on the eve of Bilbo Baggins's and Frodo Baggins's long expected party?**  
**...  
**

It was a calm, cool night in the Shire on Thursday the 22nd of September.

The animals that had stayed in their holes during the day were now coming out to find food for themselves.  
Some were even brave enough to venture close to a big grassy field where a large number of hobbit- guests were gathering.  
The calm silence was only broken by the winds that made the leaves of trees swing back and forth, and the faint splashing of the small rivers in the Shire.

Until...

**BANG!**

The first of Gandalf's magnificent fireworks went off and the calmness of the night was broken. The animals which had wandered too close to the place where Bilbo's party was taking place, scampered away from the perimeter and disappeared into the night.

A few hours before….

Bilbo had spent a big junk of his evening standing patiently by the gate that had been built on the field for his grand party, greeting guests that arrived in bigger and smaller groups.

His nephew, Frodo, was also there to greet the coming guests.

When Naruto, Sakura and Gandalf arrived, Frodo had been pleasantly surprised at the change in Naruto's and Sakura's attire.

The kunoichi wore a pale green dress with a low neckline; but not too low. The sleeves were long, reaching up to her wrists and were cuffed with white silk. She also had a necklace of white pearls around her neck and in her feet were a pair of delicate white sandals.

Naruto had on well-made leather pants that were as soft as flower petals and a long sleeved shirt that was made out of silk. It was a light blue color which differed a lot from the orange attire the boy had worn when he came to the Shire.

The dark haired hobbit had then enthusiastically greeted each of them and handed each of them a small wrapped- up gift.

The two ninjas and the wizard thanked the hobbit and moved away from the gate so that the other guests that were arriving had a clear pass.

For a moment Sakura and Naruto stood in silent awe as they took in the sight of the party area.

There was a huge pavilion that covered a tree that grew in the middle of the field inside of it. And when they stepped in to take a closer look, they saw the many different colored and shaped lanterns hanging from the tree's branches.

During the present time…

Once the first firework had been launched into the sky, it was followed by a second and soon the sky was lit with all different sizes, shapes, colors and special effects.

The dancing that took place in the field was also something Sakura and Naruto had never seen before. The music played was full of melancholy.

The two couldn't help but laugh out in delight as they sat on one of the tables outside in the field watching Frodo dance amongst the guests.

Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's most trusted friend and gardener, sat on the other side of the same long, wide table. He found it amusing to watch the two members of the Big Folk getting acquainted with the many sorts of entertainments that had taken place when the party had started. The songs, the dances, music and games.

At first he had been skeptical about having them stay at the Shire, but had come to realize after a while that they weren't bad people. They were so young, in fact, that they would have been children yet if they were hobbits.  
Sam sighed, as his attention turned to a young hobbit- woman whom danced amongst the crowd. She had been his dream for many years now, but he was just much too shy to ask her to be his girlfriend.

Giving out a small, morbid sigh, Sam then turned to address the two humans.'' So,'' he said, grinning,'' how do you like the party so far?''

'' I'm enjoying it very much!'' Naruto exclaimed, grabbing a slice of bread from a plate on the table.'' The food is delicious, the games have been a lot of fun and the music is very enjoyable. And then there are the fireworks. I've never seen ones so stunning before!''

'' Well, it is said that Gandalf's skills get better as he gets older.'' Sam said with a grin, and then took a gulp of ale from his pint.

'' My favorite firework so far has been the one that changed into a tree with leaves and flowers. They had a very distinctive smell when they fell to the ground around us.'' Sakura commented, taking a sip of her strawberry- juice.

'' I think the most extraordinary one was the rocket that shot into the air with the sound like an eagle's cry.'' Naruto pointed out and took another bite from the bread.

'' I liked all the fireworks that formed different animals or ships.'' Sam said, reaching out to take a piece of pie from the table. '' But let's not argue over which fireworks were the most magnificent. Let us enjoy the music, the laughter and the dancing.''

And this they did. For a while the three quietly enjoyed the music and the sight of hobbits dancing with the motion and rhythm of the music, until a very cheery birthday-boy, or in this case birthday- hobbit, joined the three on the long wooden table cluttered with different kinds of tasty dishes of food.

The old hobbit took out a tissue and wiped his face with it.'' Whew! '' He exclaimed loudly, and took the pint of ale that Sam handed to him.'' An old hobbit and dancing don't go well together!''

Sakura, Naruto and Sam laughed at Bilbo's words.

As he laughed, Naruto happened to turn his head towards the dancing area and spotted the ring of people the hobbits had formed in the middle of the field. They were all holding hands as they danced.

A sly smile suddenly appeared on the boy's face.

Acting quickly, the blond pulled Sakura out of her chair and half carried her towards the ring of dancing hobbits with the young kunoichi protesting the action loudly.

'' Naruto, what in the name of Kami are you doing?'' she screeched, trying to break free from her teammate.'' I do not want to dance! I do not even know how to dance!''

'' Neither do I!'' Naruto retorted, laughing at Sakura's indignant expression.'' But let's have fun now, shall we!''

Sakura punched Naruto on the chest with enough force to make the blond wince.

'' Ouch! Stop punching me, Sakura!'' Naruto gasped out, keeping a firm grip on his teammate.'' I want us to have fun!''

'' I've got enough fun sitting around the table and watching the hobbits dance!'' Sakura retorted indignantly.'' I don't want to dance.''

'' Too late, now!'' Naruto retorted, setting Sakura down on the ground and pushed her towards the crowd of dancing hobbits.

It didn't take long for the ring of hobbits to sweep the two ninja into the ring as the music, that was quicker than the one before, started playing.

Sam and Bilbo laughed good naturally as they watched the two young humans struggling to keep in rhythm with the fast-paced music.

When the music stopped playing, Naruto and Sakura broke away from the crowd and walked towards the wooden table where Sam and Bilbo were still sitting.

Naruto was laughing, while Sakura was giving the blond the evil eye.'' Well, that wasn't so bad, or was it?'' he asked mirthfully.

He was answered by a slap to the back of the head.

Sakura opened her mouth to give the blond a fairly biting remark when, as if by accident or some strange fate, two of the dancing hobbit women bumped against her as they passed her with their partners.

Sakura shrieked as she found herself knocked against Naruto's chest.

Naruto took several wobbly steps backwards to regain his footing, looking rather shocked at the abrupt turn of events, but slipped on something round and hard that gave way under his sandaled foot.

Down they went, with the girl falling on top of her teammate whom ''oofed'' as her whole weight thudded against his chest and stomach.

Feeling something soft bumping against his lips, Naruto's eyes flew open in panic as he realized what was happening.

He was KISSING Sakura!

The same look of horror could be seen on his teammate's face as they lay there, their lips still locked together in the unplanned kiss. Both of them were too shocked to do anything else but stare at each other.

''Shit… oh, shit! Oh shit shit shit!'' Naruto cursed inwardly as he wriggled out from under the kunoichi and scooted away from her. His face felt hot and he was sure he was blushing badly. As badly as his pink haired teammate whom resembled a ripe tomato.  
He grimaced as he noticed that some of the hobbits had stopped dancing and were now staring and laughing good naturally at two of them sitting rigidly on the ground.

'' Naruto… you… idiot!'' Sakura exclaimed, her voice strangely hoarse as she leaned forward and bashed the blonde's head with her fist. Her face was unreadable and she didn't know what to think at the moment but she could feel that she was blushing badly and probably resembled a tomato.'' _Naruto certainly does._'' She thought absentmindedly when she noticed the blush on her teammate's face.

As Sakura shakily stood up on her feet, Naruto sat there on the spot in complete daze. His face twisted in a frown as he stared at the ground and rubbed the back of his head.

_'' Gah! I never meant to kiss Sakura! Why the heck do I always end up kissing someone by accident?''_

'' Naruto! Hey, earth to Naruto!'' Sakura called out, hitting the boy on the head again.

Naruto sat up rubbing his head and grinning sheepishly at his teammate and the chuckling hobbits around them.

'' I... I'm sorry, Sakura! I never meant to kiss you.'' Naruto stuttered, looking up at the kunoichi.

'' I know it was an accident. I was bumped by someone and we fell on top of each other.'' she sighed.

The mentioned female hobbits giggled slightly behind their hands.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she turned to look at the two hobbits standing behind her before grinning slightly. She held out a squashed apple she'd been hiding behind her back.'' And here's the culprit that made you lose your footing.''

'' What the h... an apple?'' Naruto exclaimed, slapping his forehead and closed his eyes for a moment.'' And I call myself a ninja! What would Kakashi- sensei or Ero- sennin say to me if they knew I had tripped over an apple?''

A burst of laughter was heard behind Sakura.

Naruto and Sakura both turned to see Frodo leaning against one of the wooden tables with a goblet of ale in his hand.

'' They would probably say you're a sore excuse for a Konoha ninja.'' Frodo answered slyly.'' Really now, is that the way to treat a lady?''

'' I will show you a proper way to treat a lady, Frodo!'' Naruto said, standing up and walking towards the hobbit whilst cracking his knuckles.

'' Now, now, Naruto.'' Frodo said, backing away.'' There's no need to…''

''Raargghh!'' roared the blond boy as he jumped at Frodo whom yelped, dropped his goblet and vaulted over the table with surprising agility.

Naruto grinned as he jumped over the same table amidst the laughter of the hobbits watching and gave chase to the Baggins. He needed to have as much fun as possible before Bilbo's birthday party ended and going after Frodo would be the first thing on his long list of priorities.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else, but sobered after a moment. Though the party had been very fun and enjoyable so far, and so had seeing Frodo and Naruto acting like idiots together, she really didn't feel like laughing that much right now.  
The memory of the talk she had had with Naruto inside the house of Bag End some hours ago, had crept back into her thoughts. She solemnly fingered the short locks of her pink hair and watched her teammate chase Frodo all over the field.

The two laughing men hurdled past tents, tables, chairs and other hobbits that were staring at the two in confusion. Most likely wondering what the poor hobbit had done.

Sighing, Sakura stalked over to one of the wooden tables and plopped down on the bench. Taking the half consumed goblet of ale which Frodo had left on the table, she lifted it up to her lips and took a small sip. She grimaced at the strange, bitter taste of it, but forced herself to drink the whole beverage.

On the table opposite the pink haired kunoichi, Bilbo Baggins was staring at her with some confusion as he wondered what was bugging her mind so much for her to be drinking ale. ''Hadn't she said that she didn't drink alcohol?'' where the old hobbits thoughts at the moment as she watched her take another sip.

Several minutes later, the two boys returned to where Sakura was waiting for them with her hands crossed over her chest and tapping her foot on the ground. They were followed by two other hobbits Sakura recognized as Meriadoc Brandibuk and Peregrin Took.

The youngest of them, a hobbit dressed in dark green with brown hair was cracking jokes at Frodo whom was caught in a headlock twice today. The poor Baggins was mumbling inaudibly as he struggled to get out of the Naruto's grip.

'' Now, where have you two been?'' she asked, trying to act stern when all she wanted was to chuckle at the jokes Pippin was spouting out in random.

'' Ohhh, they were practicing and intriguing dance together called catch the rabbit. May I have your arm, oh beautiful lady.'' Pippin said grinning, bowing to Frodo and offering him his hand.

''PIPPIN!'' Frodo exclaimed as a bright blush appeared on his cheeks.

Naruto snorted with laughter and loosened his hold on the Baggins. The dark haired hobbit lunged at Pippin and began shaking him hard by the shoulders even as Merry and Naruto doubled over with laughter.

'' Intriguing dance, eh?'' Sakura asked, amused as she watched the boys acting so immaturely. She put down the goblet she had been holding in her hand and stood up.

'' A game of catch the prey would be more like it, lady Sakura.'' Merry said, grinning madly as he walked over to where Frodo was still rough handling poor Pippin.

'' Ah… hah… hah! That was great!'' Pippin exclaimed breathlessly once Merry had pried Frodo's hands off his shoulders.

He seemed to be very satisfied about making Frodo lose his temper on him as he wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. He then grabbed Naruto's arm and practically dragged the boy with him towards the many white tents. Merry grinned at Frodo and Sakura sheepishly before following after the two others.

For a moment Sakura just stood there frozen, a bit shocked by Naruto's and Pippin's abrupt departure. Then she paled as a feeling of dread passed over thoughts. '' Oh god! '' she muttered inwardly before stomping after them determinedly.

'' HEY! WHERE do you think your all GOING?'' she screeched. From what she heard from Frodo, those two hobbits were pranksters and if Naruto was put into the mix, who knew what was going to happen.

'' Oy! Let's scamper Merry, Pippin!'' Naruto yelped, seeing the darkened expression on Sakura's face. He began jogging towards the crowd.

'' What's the worst that could happen, Naruto?'' Merry asked, falling into step next to the blond boy.

Pippin was casting nervous expressions towards the furious looking pink haired girl stomping after them. Frodo was following them all rather half- heartedly.

'' NARUTO!'' Sakura screeched, suddenly picking up pace behind them.

'' A blow to the head from Sakura's fists! Now RUN!'' Naruto yelped, grabbing the two hobbits by the wrists. Soon they had disappeared into the crowd, leaving Sakura standing on the spot with an annoyed look on her face.

'' You know they're going to pull a prank during the party, don't you, Frodo?!'' she sighed, turning to look at the dark haired hobbit who looked rather amused at the situation.

'' With those two, I wouldn't be surprised!'' Frodo exclaimed. He looked more amused than bothered. '' Gandalf will surely be on their tails once they decide to put the prank on fold, whatever it's going to be. Now, let's go talk to Sam over there. He seems to be in need of cheering up.''

Sakura looked back to where Frodo was pointing at and saw the chubby, blond haired hobbit sitting on the bench by the table.

He kept staring at a beautiful hobbit woman with long, blond curly hair and wearing a sky blue colored dress.

She was dancing in a group with other hobbits. Her name, Sakura soon learned, was Rosie Cotton.  
Whenever she happened to look Sam's way, the shy hobbit turned away blushing.

Sakura followed Frodo to the table and sat across from the two hobbits while the dark haired hobbit sat down next to his friend.

'' What's on your mind, Sam?'' Sakura exclaimed loudly, forcefully bringing the chubby hobbit out of his thoughts.

Sam jumped and looked up at the girl whom was giggling at his reaction. He looked very uncomfortable.

'' Nothing! Nothing at all, Sakura!'' he laughed nervously, wiping away the sweat that had appeared on his forehead.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the hobbit's evasive answer. She knew he was mulling over something.'' Are you absolutely certain?'' she giggled, leaning forward and putting a hand on the hobbit's shoulder.

'' Absolutely. I was just not paying attention to my surroundings because…''

'' You are worried that someone else will steal Rosie Cotton from you because you're too nervous to ask her for a dance.'' Frodo joked.

His words brought a round of good natured laughter from everyone sitting around the table and Frodo smirked as he saw his friend's cheeks turn pink.

'' Mr Frodo, that's not the reason at all.'' Sam muttered unconvincingly and turned his gaze down on the empty goblet of ale in his hand. He then turned his head around like a cornered rabbit, trying to think of something to talk about that didn't involve his infatuation to Rosie Cotton.

''Uhh… hey, Sakura, where's your friend Naruto Uzumaki? I thought I saw him with you some time ago.''

'' With Merry and Pippin doing who knows what.'' Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes.'' I'm sure Frodo told you that he was quite a prankster when he told you, Merry and Pippin about us. All that happened before he became a real ninja, though at times he still has those quirks.''

'' Indeed he did.'' Sam answered, suddenly looking thoughtful.'' I wonder what possible trouble the three of them are brewing together.''

'' I wish they wouldn't try anything and would just stay out of trouble, but maybe that's just too much to ask of them.'' Sakura groaned out, burying her face in her palms.

'' So do I.'' Sam muttered out.'' Merry and Pippin are mischievous enough.''

Frodo smiled at his two friends. While Sam and Sakura had been having their conversation, he had come up with a brilliant idea as to how he would be able to get Sam to dance with the pretty hobbit-girl he was so interested in, but was too shy to talk to.

''Oy, Sam! Why don't you ask Rosie for a dance?'' he suddenly suggested, grinning.  
He winked an eye at Sakura who winked back slyly. It was obvious to her that the chubby hobbit was attracted to the beautiful Rosie Cotton. Even she could recognize the signs.  
Frodo then pulled Sam to his feet. Sam paled, and suddenly looked very nervous at the thought of asking Rosie for a dance.

' I... I think I'll just have another ale." he stuttered, and was about to go and fetch his drink.

"Oh no, you don't!" Frodo exclaimed as he grabbed Sam by the shoulders and pushed him not too gently towards Rosie. "Go on!" Frodo continued, chuckling as Rosie took Sam by the hands as she passed by and the two began dancing together quite happily.

Sakura smiled at the joy that now framed the gardener's expression as he danced.'' They look happy, don't they, Frodo?'' she said softly.

'' They do indeed.'' Frodo said, smiling as he watched his friend and gardener, dancing with the lady Rosy Cotton.'' Well, what should the two of us do now, that our two friends have ditched us?''

'' How about we go and see what old Bilbo's up to?'' Sakura answered, noticing that the old hobbit was no longer sitting on the long table.

Frodo looked around for a moment before spotting his uncle talking to a small bunch of his guests. He started walking towards him through the crowd of hobbits with Sakura following at his heels.

One of the guests Bilbo was talking to was Mrs. Bracegirdle. She was a plump hobbit of somewhere to fifty years of age. Several of her children were playing around near her and more were off exploring the party- site.

There they stood and talked with the hobbits for some time until Bilbo's sharp ears picked up the sound of two hobbits that happened to be the dreaded Sackville Bagginses. The Bagginses were once again trying to ambush Bilbo.

Frodo, Sakura and Bilbo hurriedly hid behind a large tent and watched the Sackville Bagginses enter the place where they had stood only moments ago. All three of them breathed out a sigh of relief when Mrs. Bracegirdle had the mind to tell Bilbo's enemies that she hadn't seen the old hobbit.

Mrs. Sackville Baggins's uttered an unsatisfied 'harrumph' and motioned his husband to follow her.

Bilbo breathed out a sigh as he leaned more heavily against the tent. Now that he and Frodo were alone, well, almost alone since Sakura was with them, he felt that he needed to admit something very important to his nephew.

As they still hid behind the tent, Bilbo told Frodo the disturbing truth about why he had wanted Frodo be the one to inherit Bag End. It hadn't been just over the goodness of his heart, but also because out all Bilbo's relatives Frodo had shown the real spirit of an adventurist that he so much respected, among the Bagginses.  
Frodo had been stunned, but the first words he had uttered, were: '' Bilbo, have you been at the Gaffer's home brew?''

'' No !'' Bilbo had muttered, looking away slightly.

But when Sakura put her hands on her hips with an admonishing look on her face, Bilbo rearranged his answer.

'' W-well, yes I have but that's not the point, Frodo.'' Bilbo had stuttered nervously.'' The point is, Frodo… you'll be alright.''  
The old hobbit turned away to look at all the hobbits dancing around the field, celebrating. He sighed and took a long swig from the red pint in his hands.  
Bilbo felt the familiar prick of eyes upon him, but he refused to talk more about what he had revealed; he was too ashamed over what he had done to his nephew.

A half an hour had gone by...

Naruto, Merry and Pippin were hiding in a tent near the carriage of fireworks, waiting and bidding the right time they would put their plan into motion; the plan that they had worked so hard to plot together.

**BANG!**

Another set of Gandalf's amazing fireworks exploded into glowing spears of light and flew to different directions away from the small village.

Bilbo was sitting in the Middle of a small crowd of hobbit kids telling them about one of his great adventures. Frodo was sitting on a bench near Bilbo while Sakura had been pulled into the crowd of enthusiastic little kids.

One of them was a cute hobbit girl wearing a green dress; she had brown curls and her eyes were blue. Her name was Rose and she had been one of the hobbit children sitting in the wagon with Sakura and Naruto.

Right now, she was sitting on the kunoichi's lap and her friends Luna and Marios were sitting very close to the human.

"So, there I was… at the mercy of three, monstrous trolls,'' Bilbo was saying dramatically, "And they were all arguing amongst themselves about how they were going to COOK US! Whether it be turned on a spit, or whether they should sit on us one by one… and squash us into jelly!''

Little Rose gasped at Bilbo's words and squeezed Sakura's hand tightly.

Sakura frowned at Bilbo for him having scared the little girl.

Bilbo just grinned at the kunoichi and continued his story." Well… they spent so much time arguing about the hitherto and the why ores that when the sun's first light crept up over the top of the trees… POOF! It turned them all to stone." Bilbo finished dramatically, and all the kids gasped in surprise at hearing how the adventure had ended.

'' Well, that was some story, wasn't it, Rose?'' Sakura asked the little girl who no longer looked scared. On the contrary, the little girl was smiling broadly from hearing how Bilbo had escaped being turned on a spit or from being squashed into jelly. The hobbit child turned to her and nodded enthusiastically.

Bilbo smiled at the adorable sight of Sakura interacting with the little hobbit. Obviously having a little sister of her own was helping the young woman interact with all the kids in the Shire. The girl knew how to handle them to keep them out of trouble.

As all this was happening, Gandalf who was not that far off from them was laughing as he went to his wagon. He grabbed more of his spectacular fireworks from his wagon and walked towards the place where Sakura was now playing with the kids.

Then, right when he wasn't looking two hobbits and a human bo, sneaked up from behind one of the tents. They had all intentions of causing mischief around them.

"Quick, Merry, get Pippin into the wagon.'' Naruto hissed to his fellow mischief maker whom took Pippin by the foot and gave him a boost into the wagon.

Naruto smiled as he watched Gandalf set off another line of fireworks which shaped into butterflies. The children cheered loudly and ran around trying to catch the pretty fireworks. He paled slightly as he noticed Sakura sitting on one of the benches talking to Frodo and Bilbo.

'' Hurry now, before Gandalf or Sakura sees us!'' he exclaimed. He turned to look behind him and groaned as he saw Merry and Pippin arguing about which firework they should take.

'' Hold your horses, Naruto!'' Merry hissed back. He turned back to instruct Pippin.'' No… no the big one, big one!'' he exclaimed to Pippin who had snatched a blue firework in his hand.

Pippin fumbled around for a moment before grabbing a huge, red firework that was shaped a little like a dragon. He then jumped off the wagon and was pulled behind the tent by Naruto. Merry looked around for a moment, took a bite out of the apple he had with him and then ducked under the tent flap.  
Inside the tent, the troublemakers proceeded to put their plans into motion, but ran into a bit of a problem.

'' It's done!'' Pippin exclaimed, having set the string on fire.

''You're supposed to stick it in the ground!" Merry gasped, pushing the firework to Pippin.

" It is in the ground!" Pippin retorted, pushing it back to Merry

"Outside!" Merry hissed frantically, pushing the firework back to Pippin. The younger hobbit was the closest to the tent flap.

" This whole prank was your idea!" Pippin hissed back, and again passed it to Merry.

'' Well one of you idiots better stick it outside in the ground quick before it…'' Naruto said frantically but was cut off when…'

**POOOFFFF!**

''… goes off!'' Naruto moaned as he was sent sprawling on his back by the power of the missile launching into the air. It took the whole tent with it and scared the wits out of several hobbits who had been dancing nearby.

The three troublemakers were left lying on the ground on their backs; Merry and Pippin with shocked expressions and Naruto's of exasperation.

He was cursing. Never had any of the pranks he had come up with failed so spectacularly.

The other hobbits who had been watching the fireworks, cheered at the sight of another big explosion of light. Then, suddenly, the lights once again melded into each other and changed into the shape of a red colored dragon.

The previous amazement and joy turned to fear as the firework dragon changed directions and dove towards them.

The party place was soon full of fearful hobbits running away from the approaching dragon. Some tripped over chairs and some others fell on their stomachs when they tripped over each other. One hobbit tripped over a table and sent a whole bowl of bread and other food flying everywhere.

Sakura Haruno tried not to laugh at the whole absurdity of the situation as she ducked under a table whilst dragging Rose and little Luna with her. The older hobbit children had followed her example as they ducked under the same table. Sakura wasn't scared of the Firework Dragon but she hadn't wanted the little kids to get trampled by the panicking crowd.

Frodo on the other hand had something to worry about as he proceeded to drag Bilbo away from the dragon's path. "Bilbo! Bilbo, watch out for the dragon!" he exclaimed.

"What nonsense! There hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand… years!" mumbled the old hobbit as Frodo pulled him to the ground with him just before the dragon flew over the spot where they had been standing.

The dragon then changed its flight course and flew up into the air. It became a shapeless cluster of light before dissolving into the night right before their eyes.

Then….

**POOOFFFF!**

The firework exploded into various colors before dropping down like rain in the distance. The hobbits cheered in both amazement and relief as they took in the truth that there hadn't been any real danger at all.  
Bilbo and Frodo, as well as Sakura, Rose and Luna clapped their hands whilst cheering.

Sakura found herself amazed at the wizard's gift for making extraordinary fireworks that were both frightening but also cheerful like the butterflies had been.

Meanwhile, the troublemakers were standing around watching what their prank was going to accomplish. They had ash all over their faces and their hair was slightly burned from the firework, but they were enjoying what they were seeing.

"That was…. wow!'' Naruto gasped. He, like Sakura had never actually believed they would be seeing a firework change into a huge dragon. He turned to the hobbit that had come with the idea to use a firework for their prank. '' Okay, I have to eat my words now! That plan was a success, Merry!''

'' Thank you! Thank you my crowd of admirers!'' Merry exclaimed, giving the Kyuubi- jailer a mock bow which earned him a reasonably gentle slap on the back of the head by the ninja.

"Let's get another one!" Pippin suggested excitedly, laughing as Merry let out a yip of pain. They were about to move when they were suddenly grabbed by their ears.

'' Yayaahhh!" they all screeched in pain and turned to see who had grabbed them by the ear. The culprits happened to be Gandalf and... Sakura!

Naruto couldn't help but let out a gulp. He knew just how much the punishment coming from his teammate would hurt him physically and mentally; but mainly his pride would be hurt.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took! I might've known." Gandalf stated. He looking amused at seeing the trio covered from head to toe in soot.'' And Naruto Uzumaki, what a surprise to see you as a troublemaker as well.''

Naruto just grinned helplessly as Sakura squeezed more tightly at his ear.

'' I should have never let you out of my sight knowing the strange quirks you sometimes get from being around pranksters, Naruto.'' Sakura said slyly, grinning at the blond rather evilly. '' Gandalf, would you mind if I deal out my punishment to this teammate of mine?''

'' Heh, heh… go ahead, Sakura.'' Gandalf chuckled.

**BONK!**

Merry and Pippin cringed as Naruto slid onto his knees, still smiling through the headache which his teammate had given him. She had been less gentle at dealing out her punishment then when he had accidentally kissed her on the lips.

'' Okay, I take back the words you said myself, Naruto.'' Merry groaned. '' This is the worst prank that we could ever come up with. And in the name of Gaffer's old brew, is Sakura scary when she is angry!' he exclaimed as an afterthought.

Pippin shivered, and nodded in agreement whilst Naruto just moaned and rubbed his aching skull.

Gandalf was chuckling at their words and Sakura was looking very pleased with herself.

...

Later that evening, after Gandalf had set off the last of his fireworks and the hobbits were quieting down after consuming so much of the delicious food and beverages they had been having, the guests were greeted with the sight of Meriadoc, Peregrin and Naruto washing mountains of dishes and pints.

All three of them were mumbling and grumbling curses at Gandalf for giving them such a troublesome punishment.

The wizard himself was sitting on a bench with a goblet of ale in hand as he observed the troublemakers in case they tried to escape their punishment.

Sakura was relaxing on a bench next to Frodo, eating cake and drinking fresh strawberry juice. There were kids present during the party, so nonalcoholic drinks had been included in the party menu.

When Bilbo had finished his slice of cake, the guests started badgering him to humour them with a speech much to the old hobbit's slight annoyance.

After several moments the crowd had finally succeeded in herding Bilbo into climbing on one of the tables to begin his speech. The delighted guests clapped their hands and cheered.

"My dear Bagginses and Boffins!" Bilbo began, causing all the Boffins and Baggins to cheer.

"Tooks and Brandybucks!"

Again only those who's surnames were called, cheered at Bilbo.

"Grubbs!"

"Chubbs!"

"Hornblowers!"

"Bolgers! Bracegirdles'' Bilbo exclaimed, pumping his hand into the air.

He was once again answered by cheers.

'' And Proudfoots!"

"Proudfeet!" yelled out the old Mr Proudfeet whom had glared at Gandalf when the wizard had travelled past his house.

The rest of the crowd laughed at his remark.

Bilbo just waved off the comment and sighed before standing up straight.

" Today is my 111th birthday!" he continued his speech and was greeted once again by cheers and shouts of "Happy Birthday!

The crowd continued cheering, when Bilbo said: '' Alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits!"

The crowd was still making a lot of noise, until the next words that issued from Bilbo's mouth had them all royally baffled.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like. And I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve!"

The crowd went speechless. None of them were sure if they should be flattered or to be insulted by what Bilbo had said to them.

Gandalf just smiled and chuckled quietly as he heard Naruto asking Merry and Pippin if Bilbo had momentarily gone bonkers. The two hobbits were looking just as bewildered as the blond haired ninja.

Sakura's fork had stopped halfway to her mouth as she pondered over what Bilbo had said in utter confusion.

When Bilbo continued his strange speech, his voice was now less enthusiastic. "I…" he began as his hand strayed to his pocket. He pulled something from his pocket and hid it in his fist which he moved behind his back. ''I… have things to do. " he muttered slowly, pondering what to say next.

The emotions playing on the crowds faces were now of total bafflement.

"_I've put this off for far too long_," Bilbo muttered to himself.

The crowd was beginning to whisper to one another, and what they were saying wasn't very flattering.

Sakura put down his fork. She was too entranced by Bilbo's speech to think about eating.

Finally, Bilbo said, ''I regret to announce, this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell."

The crowd said nothing as they continued to stare at the old hobbit.

Bilbo turned to look at Frodo, his nephew, for the last time before his long journey. Then his eyes strayed to Sakura sitting next to his nephew. Then he locked eyes with Naruto for a moment.

His wrinkled face was etched in a sad smile.

'' Goodbye!'' he said as a form of last words to everyone gathered there at the party-site to celebrate his birthday.

**Swish!**

Bilbo vanished in a instant with a barely audible ''swishing sound'', leaving everyone in the crowd to gasp at the abnormal occurrence.

Sakura stood up so fast that she knocked her pint on the ground with her right elbow.  
Naruto dropped a dish on the ground, as he gaped at the place Bilbo had stood only moments ago with his mouth hanging open in pure shock.

The question: ''How did he vanish like that?'' was in both their minds at that moment.

Gandalf, too, was speechless in shock and very, very worried. Suddenly, he grabbed Naruto by the wrist and with a ''poof'', they were gone.

Merry and Pippin were left wondering where exactly Naruto had disappeared and Frodo suddenly realized that Sakura was no longer standing by his side.

Meanwhile, an invisible Bilbo snuck through the front gate of his home and padded to the door. The door seemed to open entirely on its own, but when it closed, Bilbo's image came into view.

He was laughing as he admired the object that had made him able to disappear. A golden ring he had found in the caves of the Misty Mountains years and years ago. He flipped it up with his thumb, caught it in his hand and slipped it into the pocket of his vest.  
Bilbo then walked to the walking stick rack on the wall, took the most comfortable stick and padded to the lobby to gather up his things, only to find that someone was already waiting for him there. Or rather them.

" I suppose you think that was terribly clever!"

Bilbo jumped and yelped at hearing Gandalf's voice speak from the lobby. He turned around to find the wizard standing by the fireplace looking rather irritated at the stunt Bilbo had pulled on his guests.

Sakura and Naruto were kneeling on the floor still rather dazed, and a little green from the unexpected nausea that had come from teleporting to the lobby with Gandalf.

"Oh, come on Gandalf! Did you see their faces?" Bilbo said, still laughing at his own prank.

'' There are many magic rings in this world Bilbo Baggins, and none of them should be used lightly." Gandalf said admonishingly, putting a hand on his hip.

"But it was just a bit of fun!" Bilbo answered halfheartedly, though he knew that trying to defend your doings against a wizard's word was foolishness. "Oh, you're probably right, as usual. You will keep an eye on Frodo, won't you?"

"Two eyes." answered the wizard as he put a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Thanks." Bilbo said

" And as often as I can spare them." Gandalf added as he grabbed a small pot from the fireplace mantle. He had just enough time to shove it in front of Sakura before she vomited.

Bilbo whirled around when he heard her retching, and a worried look came to his expression.'' What's wrong with Sakura and Naruto?'' He asked quickly when he saw how Naruto kept swallowing repeatedly as he tried to hold in his nausea.

'' It's just a little side- effect from teleporting with me. Their bodies are not used to the strain that comes with teleporting, but I needed to get here quickly and without anyone knowing where we were going after you pulled that stunt of yours! '' Gandalf answered, frowning at Bilbo.'' You have something to tell Naruto and Sakura. Don't you, Bilbo?''

'' Right.'' Bilbo sighed, suddenly looking very ashamed of his behavior.

He then saw the pained look that was appearing on Naruto's face. He grabbed a small green pot that had been discarded on the floor months ago, and shoved it in the blonde's hands.  
He cringed, when Naruto retched into it miserably.'' I'm sorry you had to go through something like this Naruto… Sakura.'' he said quietly, looking ashamed.'' I asked Gandalf to tell you that you are both welcome to stay here in Bag End as long as you want if you so wish.''

'' But why did you ask Gandalf to tell us that were allowed to stay?'' Sakura asked hoarsely, wiping away the sweat dripping down her face. Her other hand was clutching at her churning stomach.

'' Yeah, what was the whole point of it all?'' Naruto agreed, raising his head up weakly. He didn't look to be in any better condition than his pink haired companion. His skin was pale and it held a slight green tinge.

'' I was going to sneak out of Bag End. I'm not very good at saying goodbye to those I've come to care about.''

The two shinobis nodded their heads in understanding.

Bilbo sighed quietly and turned to walk over to the fireplace. He grabbed his pipe and padded to the table where he was keeping the book '' _There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins'' _he was writing. He brought the book and pipe over to the chair where he had set down his backpack.

'' I'm leaving everything to Frodo!'' he said, as he opened his pack.

"What about that ring of yours? Is that staying too?" Gandalf inquired.

"Yes, yes," Bilbo said and then pointed his thumb backwards at the fireplace." It's in an envelope over there on the mantelpiece.''

'' Ah!'' Gandalf stated, reaching his hand out to take the envelope from the mantelpiece. He wanted to look inside and determine wether his friend was telling the truth.

But before he could open the envelope, Bilbo spoke up again.

"No, wait it's…" muttered the old Hobbit as his hand touched the ring in his vest pocket, "…here in my pocket.''

He held it in his hand and looked down at it admiringly. "Heh, isn't that… isn't that odd now?" Bilbo asked, grinning. But then his expression turned darker and more thoughtful.' Yet after all, why not… why shouldn't I keep it?" he muttered.

"I think you should leave the ring behind, Bilbo. Or is that so hard to do?" Gandalf asked. The fact that Bilbo had lied to him at first worried the old wizard. He needed to manipulate his friend into leaving the ring in Bag End. He was sure that said object was the cause to the hobbit's strange behavior.

"Well, no!" Bilbo answered very hurriedly. Then his expression turned sinister again. ''And yes! Now that it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it! It's mine! I found it! IT CAME TO ME!"

Sakura and Naruto just stared at the hobbit and the wizard. They were shocked to see the so kind hobbit acting so out of character.

'' Bilbo, what's happening to you?'' Sakura whispered so quietly that only Naruto heard her.

He brought his hand up and squeezed his teammate's hand comfortingly.

"There's no need to get angry!" Gandalf said, looking concerned over what was occurring to his friend in front of his eyes.

"WELL, IF I'M ANGRY, IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Bilbo snapped rather viciously.

Naruto let go of Sakura's hand and jumped to his feet. Bilbo was now acting, for some odd reason, a little like he did when he became controlled by Kyuubi's emotions. And he didn't like it one bit.

Gandalf, too, was looking rather alarmed.

"It's mine. My own. my precioussss." Bilbo hissed, almost purring as he caressed the ring with his finger.

Gandalf's fear was even more pronounced when he said: "Precious? It's been called that before, but not by you."

"What business is it of yours what I do with my own things!'' Bilbo growled, turning to face Gandalf with such fury in his eyes that it made Sakura gasp and stand up.

She held a kunai in her hand.

Naruto was gritting his teeth and looked ready to pounce on the hobbit.

"I think you've had that ring quite long enough!" said Gandalf, stepping forward to intercept any sudden moves from the two ninjas who were both emitting killing intent.  
He knew why they were acting like this. Naruto knew what he was like when he himself became controlled by Kyuubi's emotions, and right now Bilbo was looking possessed. And what was even more worrying was the evil aura the wizard sensed coming from the hobbit.  
He knew the shinobi could sense the evil aura as well, which heightened his need to save Bilbo from not only himself, but from Naruto and Sakura as well.

He doubted that the young would do anything so foolish as to kill Bilbo, but there was the threat that they would injure him to make the hobbit subdued. This would, in turn, cause a great stir in the Shire and would snap the thin chains of friendship the youngsters had managed to tie with Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.

"You… you want it for yourself!" Bilbo snapped loudly, suddenly pulling out the small hobbit-sized sword from its scabbard. The one he had found in the cavern of the three trolls sixty years ago.

Naruto twitched beside Gandalf which put the wizard on alert. He was now very worried, but it wasn't his friend pulling out a sword that worried him. It was the blond ninja who looked about ready to attack Bilbo.

"BILBO BAGGINS!" he roared, letting his wizard's powers burst forth.

Naruto cried out as he was suddenly launched into the air from the dark waves of Gandalf's raging power. His back hit the stony mantle of the fireplace with a loud'' **THUMP**'' before he pounced off and landed on the floor on his stomach.

Sakura screamed as a smaller portion of Gandalf's power made her stumble backwards into one of the armchairs. It tipped over and sent the girl crashing to the floor with it.

As for Bilbo, his eyes were wide with fear as he was forced against the wall by another portion of energy, which was nothing like Naruto, or Sakura had felt. The sword in his hand fell to the wooden floor with a clatter.

For a moment everything was at a standstill, and then Sakura slowly crawled out from behind the chair groaning and holding a hand to the bleeding cut on the side of her head.

Naruto soon pulled himself up shakily on all fours, coughing air into his lungs. He had lost his breath when he had hit the mantle on the fireplace. Still coughing, he raised his head to stare in shock as the room suddenly became dark and Gandalf seemed to be wreathed in a dark, noticeable cloak of chakra. And he also looked taller as he loomed over Bilbo. And when he spoke, his voice was not to be taken light of.

"DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS! I'M NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU!''

Then, the anger, and the power that Gandalf had revealed, subsided. He no longer looked like a wizard that would strike fear into the hearts of people. The man standing before Bilbo was the kind wizard that Naruto and Sakura had come to know during their journey to the Shire.

''I'm trying to help you!" Gandalf finished with a much softer voice.

Bilbo mumbled something inaudible and slowly walked to Gandalf. They hugged each other compassionately, with Bilbo still lightly shaking from the experience.

"All your long years, we've been friends. Trust me as you once did, Bilbo. Let it go." Gandalf continued, holding the hobbit gently by the shoulders as he looked into his eyes.

"You're right Gandalf." Bilbo mumbled, dazed,"The ring must go to Frodo."

The old hobbit then walked over to his bag, grabbed it and headed out to the door, having forgotten he still had the ring. He didn't want to look in the direction of the two ninjas, who had stood up by now and were approaching Gandalf cautiously.

"It's late, the road is long. Yes, it is time." he said to himself and opened the door to walk out, when…

"Bilbo!" Gandalf spoke up suddenly.

Bilbo, who had just opened the round door and had been about to step outside, froze in his tracks.

" The ring is still in your pocket." Gandalf pointed out. He rouse to his feet and approached his friend whom stood frozen by the door.

Bilbo laughed nervously as he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out the ring. Showing it to Gandalf, he slowly turned over his palm.

Bit by bit the ring moved down until it dropped to the ground with a clink.

Bilbo then turned and hurried out the door. He was still feeling the after effects of the frustration that had come over him, but his mind was now clear. Underneath all the frustration there was remorse. Remorse of having Naruto and Sakura get hurt because he had somehow lost control.  
Bilbo took a deep breath, but felt a lump coming up to his throat. He looked at the ground, and suddenly felt something wet sliding down his cheeks even as the faint wind cooled his skin.

Touching his face, the old hobbit realized he was silently crying for the first time in years.

'' Bilbo!''

The hobbit whirled around to see the two said ninjas standing at the doorway holding onto to the wall for support. They were looking at him with concern.

''' _Concern? Shouldn't they be angry at me for what occurred in the house_?'' he wondered in his head, and walked over to the doorway.

'' I had words that I should have said to you before. I should have said them face to face and not have asked Gandalf to tell you.'' Bilbo said quietly, looking at the ground.'' He… he made a good choice in bringing you here to meet me for the last time, before I leave the Shire. And yet, if he hadn't decided to bring you… you wouldn't have gotten… hurt. Yet the whole problem was me. If… if only I had kept… kept my head when Gandalf asked me to leave the ring behind… none of this would have happened.''

Bilbo's voice cracked slightly and he had to swallow, before continuing. '' I understand… if you won't be able to forgive me for what has happened.''

'' Why do you think that Sakura and I aren't' going to forgive you, Bilbo?'' Naruto said. His blue eyes were looking at the hobbit sorrowfully. '' You may think that you have done something wrong, but you haven't. You were obviously possessed by that ring. I overreacted when I saw you acting so out of character and… and I was… going to attack you. If… if Gandalf hadn't stopped me I may have hurt you. I should be the one asking for forgiveness.''

'' I would have followed Naruto's actions if Gandalf hadn't stopped us.'' Sakura said quietly.'' And don't let us being hurt bother you Bilbo. We have gotten hurt before and it surely will happen again and again in our lifetime.''

She stumbled closer to the hobbit and pulled Bilbo in a hug. Naruto did the same and soon the three of them were comforting one another.

Gandalf stood a little further from the group, smiling sadly at what was happening before him. Not even a day had passed since they came to the Shire, and already strange occurrences were happening all around them. And yet it was comforting to know that Bilbo, Naruto and Sakura still respected each other despite what had occurred and took comfort from each other.

'' Well, I've thought of an ending for my book!'' said Bilbo, smiling through his tears. ''And he lived happily ever after to the end of his days.''

'And I'm sure you will, my dear friend," Gandalf agreed and walked forward to shake hands with Bilbo one last time before the hobbit would leave to go on his journey.

"Goodbye, Gandalf! And farewell to you, dear children!''

"Goodbye, dear Bilbo." Gandalf answered, smiling at his friend.

Sakura hugged the hobbit once more, whispering her goodbye in his ear.

Naruto grinned, shaking the hobbit's hand before giving him one last, tight hug. He then pulled away and held out Bilbo's sword, which had been put back in its scabbard.

'' Don't forget this, Bilbo!'' he said, smiling sadly. '' Who knows what could happen when you are travelling on your own with no one to watch your back!''

'' Thank you so much, Naruto.'' Bilbo whispered gratefully, as he took the offered weapon. '' I kind of left the house in a hurry and didn't think to take my trusted weapon with me. And I promise to look after myself.''

Bilbo then gently extracted himself from Sakura and tied the strings of the scabbard to his belt. Then, with a last wave and a smile, he turned around and walked out the small gate, singing a song Naruto and Sakura had heard many times during their journey to the Shire.  
The old hobbit could be heard singing: '' _The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began..._''

'' Until our next meeting." Gandalf stated fondly, before turning to look at the two shinobi.

The euphoria from the unexpected incident with Bilbo had apparently subsided completely and the two seemed to be suffering from shaky knees. Sakura was leaning against Naruto, who was taking balance against the wall.

The Kyuubi- jailer looked to be supporting his team- mate very awkwardly which had Gandalf wondering what kind of occurrence had come by that was causing the awkwardness between them.

Walking over to the two youngsters, the wizard gently touched the ugly looking wound on the side of Sakura's head. She hissed in pain as Gandalf's wrinkled fingers brushed against the cut, and raised her hand to rest it lightly against the other side of her forehead.

Gandalf sighed in relief when he came to the conclusion that the wound wasn't very deep. But from the way she held her head, he could see that she was sure to be suffering from a dreadful headache. Maybe even a small concussion.'' You need that wound bandaged up.'' he murmured to Sakura.

She nodded and lowered the hand she had been pressing against her forehead. Gandalf took it and slung her arm around his shoulders.

Naruto vanquished his spot by his teammate's side and allowed Gandalf to guide Sakura inside. He then followed them and closed the door once the three of them were all inside the house. Wincing slightly at the pain in his back the boy turned and almost bumped into the wizard whmo had suddenly stopped walking.

'' Gandalf, what…?'' Naruto exclaimed but froze in the middle of his speech when he saw Gandalf stooping to pick up the small golden ring lying on the tiled floor.

The wizard's wrinkled fingers brushed against the ring's cool surface, but something happened then, that none of the people standing in the small corridor could ever have expected to occur...

**End of Chapter 3, The Party, the Prank and the Ring**


	4. Chapter 4 The Beginning of Journey

**Chapter 4 The Beginning of a Journey**

******Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien**

******No money is made out of this story**

**Chapter Summary: In the last chapter, Gandalf was in the process of touching the golden ring Bilbo had left behind in Bag End. What problems will this create? Find out in this chapter! **

...

'' Bilbo's ring.'' Naruto murmured out loud as he moved to lower a steadying hand on Sakura's shoulder.

The two of them watched Gandalf bend over to pick up the shiny object off the floor.

As Gandalf's fingers brushed against the ring's surface, a flash of red appeared in front of their eyes. Their senses were bombarded by images of an eye wreathed in flame, but it wasn't the image that made their hearts skip several beats.

It was the way the image so tightly grasped their senses and the feeling of an evil presence so strong that it seemed unnatural.

'' AH!'' Sakura exclaimed as she felt dark power race through her senses.

Naruto winced and squeezed Sakura's shoulders more tightly as he too felt the evil force coming from the ring.

The feeling of evil was so powerful it reminded him of Kyuubi's chakra; or it may have been even stronger than Kyuubi's. He couldn't be sure. Then he gasped as the image of the lidless eye unexpectedly turned to him. It spoke to him in a language he couldn't understand.

Just as he was going to cry out, Gandalf withdrew his hand from the ring and stood up straight.

'' You felt it, didn't you?'' the wizard murmured, as if speaking to himself '' The evil that comes from the ring itself?! ''

'' We sensed it, Gandalf, but… what exactly was it?'' Sakura whispered, shivering as she slid to the ground and leaned against the wall.

Naruto stayed standing but was gripping Sakura's shoulders tightly. He looked scared, and who could blame him after being spoken to by an unnatural being as powerful as Kyuubi. And with them unable to use even the simplest of Ninjutsu, they were more vulnerable than ever to the dangers of Middle Earth.

'' If only I knew, Sakura.'' Gandalf murmured, frowning as he raked a hand through his thick, grey hair. '' I need to think.''

...

A little later, after cleaning and bandaging the wound on the side of Sakura's head and had taken a look at the large bruise on Naruto's lower back that had come from hitting the mantelpiece, Gandalf was sitting by the fireplace smoking his pipe and mulling over the words Bilbo had spoken whilst having been possessed by the ring's powers.

Naruto had fallen asleep on the floor, and Sakura was in a seated position with her back resting against Gandalf's chair.

Sleep was evading her.

She looked behind her to see the wizard still sitting in the same position, smoking pipe weed.

Sighing, she closed her eyes, hoping to sleep at least a little, but opened them when she heard Gandalf repeating the words:_ '' my precious''._

They were the words Bilbo had spoken earlier and something about riddles in the dark.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura slid onto her backand closed her eyelids. And this time, light sleep took hold of her.

She was dozed lightly, but was still ready to spring to a sitting position at the slightest of noise.

Gandalf on the other hand, seemed to be completely unaware of his surroundings. He didn't even pay attention to the door slamming open and the sound of pattering feet as Frodo hurried inside, calling for Bilbo.

But if the wizard was unaware of his surroundings, then Sakura certainly was not. She sat up the moment she had heard the key turn in the lock and was now watching with baited breath as Frodo stooped to pick up the golden ring from the floor.  
She cringed and braced herself to feel the horrid, evil power that would emit from the ring when it was touched but was surprised, when she felt nothing.

'' Maybe the ring acts more violently when it's touched by someone as powerful as Gandalf.'' Naruto's voice sounded from beside her.

Sakura jumped and turned around to see her teammate leaning his back on the armchair Gandalf was sitting in. His hands were folded in front of his chest.

'' Or us, Naruto.'' she said quietly, having quickly recovered her wits from Naruto's surprisingly smart insite.

She and Naruto stood up and watched Frodo enter the lobby with a sad expression on his face.

The kunoichi bit her upper-lip lightly as they sat in silence. She wanted to tell Naruto of her plans to leave the Shire, but this wasn't the time to tell him. She needed to wait for the right opportunity.

"He's gone, hasn't he?" Frodo then spoke up, looking around at the walls. "He talked so long about leaving, but I didn't think he'd really do it."

He slowly walked over to where Gandalf was sitting. "Gandalf?"

Gandalf grunted and turned to the hobbit. His eyes strayed to the ring he held in his hand. '' Bilbo's ring." he stated, grinning at Frodo." He's gone to stay with the Elves.''

He took the envelope from the mantelpiece and held it out to the hobbit." And his left you Bag End…"

Frodo hesitated a moment before slipping it inside the envelope.

Gandalf put the envelope against a chair and sealed the envelope closed with wax, ''along with all of his possessions. The ring is yours now!" he said as he held the envelope towards Frodo.

Frodo took the envelope in his slightly shaking hand.

"Put it somewhere out of sight." The wizard then said before abruptly standing up and walking out of the lobby.

"Where are you going?" a startled Frodo exclaimed as as he rushed after the wizard.

'' GANDALF, wait!'' Naruto cried out. He jumped to his feet, cringing as his bruised back protested against the sudden movement and hurried after the wizard and hobbit with Sakura following at his heels.

"I have some things that I must see to!" answered Gandalf shortly. He paused to grab his hat and staff from the coat rack.

"What things? '' Frodo exclaimed as he followed the wizard down the hall with the low ceiling. He may have been a hobbit, and hobbits were classified to be among the less wisest of creatures, but he was a Baggins. He knew there was something that his friend was hiding from him. Something that was very important.

"Questions, Frodo!" Gandalf spoke, again shortly, as he continued to walk towards the doorway. '' Questions that need answering!"

"But you've only just arrived!" Frodo said as he followed the wizard down the hall towards the front door. It pained him to have the wizard leave so soon. He so seldom saw the old man. "I don't understand!"

Gandalf stopped at the door and turned around to face Frodo. "Neither do I.'' he said with a grave voice. '' But I must not leave this task undone. The guestions are much too important a matter to leave unsolved.''

'' What about us?'' Sakura asked, grabbing hold of the wizard's robes. Gandalf turned to look at her with a solemn expression on his wrinkled face.

'' While we were journeying to the Shire, I said that my visit would be over two months. There would have been enough time for you to have come up with a decision on whether you'll stay here or leave with me. But unfortunately, the circumstances have changed. There is a secret of some kind inside Bilbo's ring that only careful research can reveal. You have two options. Either one of you comes with me and the other stays, or you both stay here in the Shire. I have to move very swiftly and there's only room for one on the back of my horse. I need to know what paths you've decided now before I leave. So, what is your decision, Naruto?''

'' I've already gotten friends here.'' Naruto murmured softly, looking down at the ground. 'You are like a grandfather to me and it hurts to have you leave but, I'm sure I'll be just fine if I stay put. My decision will be to stay here in the Shire.''

Gandalf nodded his head and put a hand on the shinobi's shoulder. Frodo's, Merry's and Pippin's genuine friendship was indeed something to treasure. He would miss the cheery and curious attitude of the blond young man; and the genuine interest he had shown during their journey to the Shire in learning some of the many histories involving the strange, and wonderful beings living in Middle Earth.

The wizard then turned to Sakura whom had been standing behind him through his conversation with Naruto.

'' And what is your decision, Sakura?'' he asked gently. He could sense her nervousness and came to the conclusion that the path she had chosen was one that differed from that of her teammate.

The guestion hung in the air...

Then Sakura raised her chin up and answered without a stutter.

'' I'm leaving with you, Gandalf!''

...

Naruto sighed as he squeezed the large scroll Gandalf had handed to him only twenty minutes earlier. He was staring despondently in the direction his teammate and Gandalf had disappeared to.

He had stood in front of the open doorway the whole time Gandalf and Sakura had been getting ready for the journey and watched as Sakura had stood on the side of the road holding on to the reins of Gandalf's steed, Chestnut; a large male horse with reddish- brown fur.

He hadn't been able to keep his eyes from her. Even when she had been doing simple things as strapping the baggage's Gandalf had been passing to her tightly onto the front and back of the saddle.

'' Are you really okay with staying here, Naruto?'' Frodo said quietly, as he stood beside the young man. '' I mean, it's gonna be strange to be without Sakura and Gandalf after travelling with them for many weeks.''

Naruto grinned vainly.'' I had hoped that my words about Sasuke would have changed her feelings towards him at least a little, but this has been going on for so many years that I doubt things will ever change. Surprisingly the decision she made doesn't hurt as much as I had thought it would. And as for staying here, it's going to take some time to get used to, but I'll adapt. ''

'' But you gave her your headband and the jade crystal necklace. I wonder what kind of consequences that will put over your head if Sakura makes it to Konoha with them.'' Frodo muttered with a worried look on his face.

Naruto didn't know how to answer Frodo's words. He shrugged his shoulders, but inwardly the Kyuubi- vessel was worried about the reactions of all those people who either cared or respected him in his home village, but he didn't want Frodo to hear that he was worried as well.

_About thirty-five minutes earlier… _

'' _So, this where we shall follow separate paths.'' Sakura stated, standing tall before her teammate whom was only five centimeters taller than her. Her deer-skin travelling pack was flung over her shoulders. Her jade-green eyes were looking up into his blue ones. '' Are you sure you want to stay in the Shire?''_

_Naruto uttered a small, sorrowful laugh.'' Sakura, even if I wanted to come with you and Gandalf, Chestnut wouldn't be able to carry all three of us on his back. No, I'll stay here and wait for Gandalf to return with answers as to why he had to leave so suddenly.''_

_Naruto sighed and lowered a hand on Sakura's shoulder.'' But no matter where you are, you will always be in my thoughts.''_

_With his left hand he reached up behind him and opened the knot that kept his Hitae-ate (headband) in place. Holding it in his left hand, he then reached for the First Hokage's crystal necklace and pulled it up and over his neck.'' And… if you somehow find a way to get back to our world from those scrolls in Isengard, give these to baachan(granny) and tell her that I haven't forgotten my promise of becoming Hokage one day.''_

_He then handed the objects to Sakura whom reached out to take them from his hand. The two ninja stood there for a while without talking, then Sakura did the unexpected by jumping forward and circling her arms tightly around Naruto's waist._

'' _I'm going to miss you, Naruto.'' she whispered, her voice muffled slightly as it was pressed against the boy's chest._

_Naruto hugged his teammate; more gently than the other teenager had hugged him. '' I'll miss you too, Sakura.'' he said softly, as the young woman slowly pulled away from him._

After a moment of silence, Frodo asked: '' What do you think is in that scroll that was given to you by Gandalf, Naruto?''

'' I don't know, but I'll find out later. She gave one to Sakura as well. '' Naruto answered absentmindedly as he looked down at the scroll held tightly in his fist. He then turned to look at Frodo. '' Did you hide the ring somewhere safe like Gandalf said to do?''

Frodo sighed in exasperation. He had said loud and clearly, that he would go and hide the ring somewhere ten minutes ago, but apparently the blonde's thoughts were still floating around his pink haired companion. And what was even more ridiculous, was that he was still standing outside near the front door looking out in the direction in which Sakura and Gandalf had travelled.

'' Yes, I hid the ring but you still seem to have your brains stuck somewhere else!'' Frodo exclaimed with an annoyed look on his face. '' I told you the exact same thing only ten minutes ago!''

Naruto suddenly looked embarrassed.'' Uhh,I guess you did say that now that I remember.''

Frodo rolled his eyes at the blonde's answer. '' By the way, what did Gandalf mean when he said there's something troubling about the ring Bilbo had given to me?''

'' Before you came to the house, Gandalf tried to pick up the ring which Bilbo had dropped on the floor after Gandalf's insistence. But when he touched it, we all felt an evil presence emitting from the ring. '' Naruto said quietly, shaking all thoughts of Sakura out the window. '' The presence was so powerful that it rivals that of Kyuubi's and is just as evil. And not only that, for it appeared that the ring was actually controlling your uncle somehow. He went completely ballistic when Gandalf negotiated him to leave the ring here.''

'' WHAT?'' Frodo nearly shouted. His eyes had gone wide with shock as he stared up at his friend.'' That's it! You're going to have to tell me everything from the start; including how you and Sakura just suddenly disappeared from the party. And without leaving out any details. ''

'' Sure, but I'm pretty hungry right now. Could we eat something while we have the talk?'' Naruto asked, blushing when his stomach gave a loud gurgle.

Frodo laughed as he heard his own stomach give a loud rumble.'' You and me both! I'll go get something from the food pantry so why don't you go heat up water for tea, Naruto?''

Naruto nodded, rubbing the back of his head. The trademark grin was now back on his face, but it was a lot more genuine than the ones the people in Konoha had seen him give.

...

It was early the next morning. The sun was just rising from behind the mountains, when Sakura woke up from the slight pain that came from having a fair sized chestnut dropped on her face. She gave a low groan when the chestnut bounced off her cheek. She changed position and soon dozed comfortably again under the warm blanket Frodo had given to her as a present for the journey.

She wouldn't have woken up for some time if another chestnut hadn't been dropped on her left ear.

With a very unladylike curse, Sakura sprang up into a sitting position. Staring up into the high branches of the tree with blurry unfocused eyes, she noticed a small baby squirrel chattering madly at her.  
Though she loved cute little animals, she really wasn't a morning person. Thus, she threw a withering look at the creature, but only succeeded in amusing the squirrel even more.

'' I swear, if I had my super strength now, that tree would be on the ground in pieces with it's roots pulled out of the soil and the squirrel would be left wondering what the hell had happened!'' Sakura mumbled to herself. She yawned tiredly and rubbed a hand over her eyes to get out the grit.

Deciding not to pay any more attention to the annoying squirrel, Sakura grabbed her backpack and fished her hand inside it a moment before a certain object came in contact with her hand. She pulled out the scroll Gandalf had given to him in Bag End, but paused in the action of opening the scroll.

Something was distracting her.

Naruto's eyes, when she had said she would be leaving the Shire, still haunted her thoughts. It had been painful for both of them, though they hadn't even mentioned the fight they had had a few hours before the start of Bilbo's birthday party.  
They hadn't talked much, she and Naruto, but the way they clung to each other's embrace was enough to tell that they would miss seeing each other's faces during the days to come.

Running a hand through her tangled pink hair, Sakura urged herself to pay attention to the scroll Gandalf had given her.

**Wolume 1: The easiest way to start exercising the use of one's chakra**

Sakura's eyes shoot wide open at the words written into the scroll. _'' From where did Gandalf get this scroll? And who the heck wrote this? Did Gandalf know from the beginning that we would just suddenly appear in Middle Earth and was ready for it?''_

'' Shimatta (shit)! The wizard will have a lot of explaining to do once he wakes up!'' Sakura hissed aloud under her breath as she turned to look at the slumbering old man. ''_And what will Naruto find once he opens his own scroll? Was Gandalf thoughtful enough to leave a note to explain everything to him?''_

Whilst she was fuming over what she had learned, a black crow flew on top of a branch which hung right above Sakura's head.  
It had noticed the necklace of white pearls sticking out of the girl's pack and attempted to fly down to collect it, but the kunoichi chose the time to take a glance at the jewel.  
She moved to push it deeper into the backpack just as the crow decided to lunge down towards it.

With a startled croak, the bird collided claws first against the back of the woman's head.

Sakura let out a small yip of pain as she moved her hands to grab the unlucky bird. Squashing the urge to choke the animal, the girl threw it viciously into the air.

The crow soon got wind under its wings, which was good when faced with an angry kunoichi.

'' Why does every creature in this damn forest have something against me?'' Sakura growled out as she touched the back of her head lightly and winced. When she pulled her hand away, she noticed it was tinted with her own blood.'' This better be the last time I'm getting punished by woodland creatures this morning!'' she hissed, now thoroughly annoyed.

Fishing around in her pack again, she pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and a role of bandages Gandalf had given to her during their journey to the Shire a week ago.

Meanwhile, in Bag End…

Uzumaki Naruto woke up with a strangled cry and bolted upright on the bed in Bilbo's old bedroom. He was breathing heavily and his heart raced within his chest.  
Groaning, he rubbed a hand across his face and flopped down on the bed. Staring at the low ceiling of his room, he willed himself to calm down.  
He'd been having such a good dream about eating ramen with Frodo, Sakura, Merry and Pippin by the lakeside in the Shire, until the dream turned into a nightmare. There was the same lidless eye wreathed in flame talking to him in a language he couldn't understand; then the image changed into Kyuubi and then himself standing on the burned grass of the village he had sworn to protect from now on.

But it wasn't the real him; he was wearing black armor and his face was hidden behind a hideous looking mask so that only his eyes could be seen. His whole body had been wreathed in Kyuubi's red chakra and his hands were coated with blood. Lying by his feet were the horribly mangled bodies of Frodo, Sakura, Pippin and Merry. The bodies of the rest of the Shire folk lying all around them in piles. Blurry images of inhumanly creatures were gathering around to feast on their mangled flesh…

Naruto's body was still trembling as he turned to light the candles sitting on the bedside table. His hands fumbled with the matches but a moment later the still dark room was dimly lit with the light coming out of the candles.

''_Damn it, why did that… eye… speak to me yesterday when Gandalf touched the ring? And what's with the dream I just saw a little while back? Not something that will come to pass I hope!'' _Naruto muttered to himself, pushing away the bangs of hair that insisted on flopping over his eyes.

Sighing, he turned to grab the scroll given to him by Gandalf and dropped it in front of him on the bedcovers. As he opened the scroll and read through the first few lines, his eyebrows rose in surprise. The first few paragraphs were a letter from Gandalf, but the date on the left side corner of the scroll was absurd.  
The letter had been written… three weeks before the day he and Sakura had suddenly appeared in Middle Earth!

Naruto quickly read through the rest of the letter and nearly toppled off the edge of the bed in shock. He couldn't believe it. Tora Akame had been in touch with Gandalf for weeks. He had been guiding Gandalf into bringing the two scrolls with him to the Shire.

'' Urrghh… damn that wizard!'' Naruto mumbled tiredly, twisting around to flop onto the mattress on his stomach. ''

He knew exactly who we were when we appeared on the side of that road and yet he went ahead and started interrogating us on who we were; although I suppose he wanted to make sure our surprised and shocked expressions were genuine and not well played brain washing. And yet…''  
He buried his face in the softness of his pillow, '' he nearly made me piss in my pants when he used his powers to fling me against that stupid oak tree when I didn't want to answer him immediately. I wonder if Gandalf had written Sakura a note about everything he told me, or if she is forced to wait for the answer…''

He closed his eyes and fell asleep soon after, tired from waking up so many times that night because of the same strange nightmare.

...

Meanwhile, Sakura was still sitting under the same tree reading through the long scroll whilst throwing the occasional glare at the still sleeping wizard. _'' Arrggghhh! How long is he actually going to sleep? I thought we would be continuing our journey early in the morning?''_

'' Are you always this unaware of your surroundings, lady Sakura? ''

Sakura shrieked, as she felt a hand drop onto her shoulder. She spun around in a crouched position and saw… Gandalf!

'' W- What the…?'' she gasped, blinking. She then moved forward quickly and prodded the figure sleeping under the tree, only to find out that her hand touched only the air around her.

Sakura's eyes widened.

'' I would have thought a ninja would be able to see through an illusion, Sakura.'' Gandalf pointed out, chuckling quietly at the woman's expression of shock.

'' G-Genjutsu!'' Sakura stuttered, and then slapped a hand against her forehead. ''How could I have not noticed, that I was under a Genjutsu?''

'' Perhaps you weren't expecting it to be done by a wizard, but you really should start looking underneath the underneath when in the presence of others. Even those travelling with you!'' Gandalf admonished, putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura scowled slightly as he looked up at the wizard.

'' Right, about those scrolls you gave me and Naruto.'' she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. '' WHO wrote them and how was it that you carried them with you? Could it be that mine and Naruto's appearance in Middle Earth wasn't such a surprise as you made us believe before?''

Gandalf chuckled, which made the kunoichi feel more irritated with the situation.

'' _Damn you Gandalf! I need answers and all you do is chuckle!'' _she thought inwardly_._

'' Gandalf!'' she grinded out between clenched teeth; her hands were pulled into fists and her green eyes were staring at the wizard with a rather dangerous look in them.

'' It's true I kept a secret from you and Naruto, for it so happens that I was visited by the ghost form of Tora Akame. He told me that he would be sending two youngsters from the ninja world to ours. He also told me to take this scroll (He had stooped to pick up the abandoned scroll that was laying on the ground next to the pink haired kunoichi) and Naruto's from the safekeeping of Lord Elrond of Rivendell…''

Sakura's jaw almost dropped to the ground when she heard the wizard mention the name of Sasuke's ancestor; the one whose fault it was that they were in a world they had no connections to, except for the few friends they had picked up in the Shire.

'' And when I threatened you that day you suddenly appeared out of thin air, it was only an act to make you believe I had no clue who you were and where you had come from.'' Gandalf continued, watching the shifting of emotions on the girl's face.

'' Why would you do that, Gandalf? '' Sakura asked sadly, looking down at the ground.'' Why would you keep such a secret from us? Did he tell you to keep a secret from us and if that's the reason, why did you follow through it? ''

'' I'm used to keeping secrets that others are willing to reveal to me, Sakura.'' Gandalf answered quietly. He slid a finger under her chin and pulled her head up to meet his eyes.'' But if you are worried that Naruto didn't receive the information I've given you, then rest assured that I've taken care of the situation. All the information is sealed in the letter that came with the scroll. I wrote the letter two weeks prior to the day you appeared in Middle Earth.''

Sakura let out an audible gasp.

'' May I see the letter, Gandalf?'' the kunoichi asked softly, holding out her hand; she wanted to make sure that everything the wizard had said was true.

Gandalf rummaged his hand around the folds of his grey cloak. When he found the letter he was looking for, he dropped it on Sakura's palm.

Sakura's eyes widened slightly when she had read through the letter, and the date on the left side corner.'' But what I don't understand is what madness made Tora Akame hatch a plan that involved us being shipped off to a world we have no connection to.'' she mumbled, gripping the scroll tightly with her left hand.

'' He did say something about it to me, although the details he told me were very vague. He wanted Naruto to experience something here that his never really received in Konohakagure; and that's being treated like a human being and not something that's gotten stuck under the bottom of one's boots. You saw the way the kids acted around you both, didn't you? They were normal, curious little tykes getting to know such exotic visitors. And as for you Sakura… Akame wanted you to experience adventure in Middle Earth; so you would finally be able open your eyes and forget about Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura's face paled and her eyes narrowed in anger.

'' How… how would Tora Akame know what's best for me, Gandalf?'' Sakura hissed breathlessly.

Gandalf took a step back from the ninja. He was slightly startled at the look of absolute rage on the woman's face.

'' WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?'' Sakura shrieked, slamming her right fist against the trunk of the tree so hard the impact left a bare spot on the bark.

The wizard winced at the sight, wondering how she would cope with the agony that would follow from striking the tree once she'd run out of euphoria from her fury.

'' EVER SINCE NARUTO AND I CAME HERE I'VE BEEN WONDERING AND WONDERING WETHER WE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO RETURN HOME TO KONOHA! FOR KAMI DAMN TWO WEEKS I'VE BEEN WORRYING HOW MY FAMILY IS COPING DUE TO MY DISAPPEARANCE! '' Sakura screamed, punching the tree repeatedly.

Her hands were becoming bruised and the skin was badly shredded. Blood was leaking out but she felt no pain.

''WHY IS THAT OLD FART SO BENT ON CONTROLLING MY LIFE FOR ME? I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT NARUTO'S HAPPY FOR THIS CHANGE, BUT I HAVE A FATHER, A MOTHER AND A LITTLE SISTER! I HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME!''

Sakura was about to slam her hand on the tree once more, but the hand was suddenly grabbed and held down by another. A larger hand.

The girl swirled her head around to glare into the eyes of Gandalf the Grey whom was looking down at her calmly. Underneath his calm facade, though, the wizard was very concerned.

'' Sakura, stop doing this to yourself! You're going to be separated from me once we get to Isengard, and I don't want you to break down like this while your alone!''

The young woman swallowed hard as she turned to look at her bruised hands that were dripping blood onto the ground.

Gandalf sighed as he grabbed the antiseptic from the pouch on his waist and gently rubbed it on the kunoichi's hands with a clean cloth. He then wrapped them tightly with bandages.

Sakura sat there staring at the ground during the whole process; never wincing from the sting of the liquid brushing against the wounds.

'' Yeah, sure.'' she mumbled, wiping away the tears that were beginning to slide down her cheeks. '' It's just… my father, my sister and I have always been very close and I miss them. My father is always calling me his little princess; even now when I'm almost sixteen. I know my sister will have cried for me for days. And though my mother and I are not that close, I still can't help but wonder how she is taking my disappearance.''

'' She is probably worried for you as well. When someone they'd known suddenly disappears, it tends to bring people closer.'' Gandalf said softly as Sakura buried her head in his grey robes. He could hear her sobbing quietly; letting out the stress that had been bottling up inside of her.

'' _Let it all out, Sakura. Let it out.'' _Gandalf thought inwardly as he gently stroked the kunoichi's soft pink hair.

When she finally pulled away, the wizard asked: '' Will you be alright now?''

'' Yes! I will be eventually when I'll get synched with the whole situation of staying in Isengard to look through scrolls and manuscripts, that have probably gathered a lot of dust during the years they've remained unread.'' Sakura answered with a small laugh as she wiped the tears from her face.

'' Well then, we better get going.'' Gandalf casually stood up and walked away from the tree Sakura was sitting under.

The young kunoichi quickly started gathering the stuff strewn over her sleeping place and stuffed them in her backpack. But as she finally scrambled to her feet, she banged her head against a sturdy overhanging branch.

'' Owww, to hell with this!'' Sakura grumbled, raising a hand up to rub her abused cranium.

The Istari couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the sight.'' Not having a good morning, are you Sakura?'' he asked casually, which earned him a glare from the pink haired woman.

'' Definitely not, Gandalf!'' she mumbled, rubbing the bump that had appeared on her head.'' And will you just STOP THAT ANNOYING CHATTERING!'' she roared up at the large group of squirrels who had joined the little squirrel high up in the branches.

They were laughing at her.

Gandalf just chuckled at the kunoichi's furious outburst and then turned his attention to his stallion, Chestnut, whom was standing in the fields under the shade of a huge tree, eating grass.

Sakura listened in awe as the Istari let out a very melodic whistle that sounded like a singing bird. She giggled, when the handsome horse trotted over and nuzzled it's head against Gandalf's neck.

The wizard stroked its neck and pulled out an apple from the pouch on his belt. He gave it to Sakura who took it and held her palm towards the large horse.

She snorted with laughter when the apple immediately disappeared from her palm into the greedy mouth of the animal.

Gandalf was right; Chestnut really was very fond of sweets.

...

A full month had come and gone.

Gandalf and Sakura were standing side by side on top of a hill not far from the towering building where the wizard's fellow Istari, Saruman, lived.

The kunoichi couldn't help but stare open mouthed at the magnificent sized structure of Orthanc.

It was a building that reached up to five hundred feet (One hundred and fifty meters) above the plains of Isengard and ended in ended in four sharp peaks. It's only entrance was at the top of a high stair, and above that was a small window. The columns of rocks were a menacing colour of black.

'' G-Gandalf, I never expected this place to be so- so humungous.'' she whispered, stroking the side of Chestnut's silky nose.

The horse nuzzled her neck. Its breath was tickling her skin, but Sakura hardly even noticed the tickling sensation.

'' Orthanc was built during the end of the Second Age by the men of Gondor.'' Gandalf answered softly, placing a comforting hand on the kunoichi's shoulder.

'' It's happened so long ago, Gandalf.'' Sakura murmured, looking around at the courtyard surrounding the humongous structure of hardened rock.  
She let out a sigh of relief when she noticed the many trees surrounding the structure and the woods in the distance.

There was also a small stable in the very corner of the yard. There were three horses moving around in a large pasture next to the stable.

''_At least there is a choice of also being able to go outside for fresh air.'' _she thought inwardly._'' If not, I'd probably become claustrophobic.''_

'' Shall we proceed?'' Gandalf enquired.

Sakura nodded, took a good hold of the saddle and pushed herself up onto the back of Chestnut. Gandalf soon maneuvered himself in front of the girl whom grabbed a tight hold of the wizard's waist.

As they rode through the high gates surrounding Orthanc, Sakura noticed an old man standing in front of the stairs that lead to the only door. _'' Is that Saruman the White Wizard? One of the Istari?_'' she wondered, as Gandalf halted his steed a few meters away from the white robed man.

They both dismounted.

'' Ah, welcome to Orthanc Gandalf the Grey. And who may you be, young lady?'' Saruman enquired. His eyes held curiousness as he looked at the girl wearing such revealing pieces of clothing.

Sakura quickly bowed to the Istari; she had gotten a good look at Saruman's features.

He was a little taller than Gandalf and his beard was almost entirely white, save for the small patches of grey on his beard right under his bottom lip and his eyebrows. The tip of his nose was more beak- like than Gandalf's rounder nose, and he looked thinner than the other wizard.  
His voice was deeper than Gandalf's and he had a black staff which resembled the peaks of Orthanc and a large, round opal like stone was wedged in the middle of the staff.

'' My name is Haruno Sakura. I've come to seek information from the scrolls that are kept in the safety of the halls of Orthanc.'' Sakura answered formally. She smiled kindly at the Istari who in turn bowed to her.

'' And why, may I inquire, do you need to look for information from the scrolls that are kept secret from anyone who's not a part of the Istari, young lady? ''

'' Ah, I might as well tell you everything as we take a walk in the gardens, Saruman. Would you be so kind as to take Chestnut to the stable, Sakura?'' Gandalf piped in.

He stepped toward the kunoichi and held out the reins to her.

Sakura took them and began leading the big horse towards the stables.

Later that day…

Sakura watched sadly from atop of the black stoned stairs as Gandalf rode off wherever he was going to seek for information of his own. She could feel Saruman's hand on her shoulder but it did nothing to comfort the turmoil raging inside of her. She missed her friend already and she was wondering when she was going to see the grey- robed wizard again.  
The two had become even closer friends during their journey to Isengard. Gandalf had really been a great help to the kunoichi as she was learning how to use chakra again. Sakura was now able to get past the halfway point when walking up trees, and she was able to stay above the surface of the water when water- walking.

Also the stories he had told had been very enjoyable to listen to as they sat near the camp-fires.

At least Gandalf had waited until she'd been properly introduced to the many passageways and rooms of Orthanc and other places outside the structure. Together with Saruman, Gandalf had planted a very good map of the place inside Sakura's head as they walked around.

Sighing, the young kunoichi turned around and walked inside the building. She headed through the corridors towards the big library to start her research.

Saruman stayed outside for a moment with a sinister look on his face as he stared out into the horizon. '' _You should not have told me everything, Gandalf the Grey, for Sauron will soon know everything about this strange woman… and about the man who hold_s _a demon inside of him. Perhaps the Dark Lord will find a way to bring that man to our side and use him in our goal to destroy all human life in Middle Earth!''_

A moment later he turned and walked briskly inside the building and down the hall towards the room where the remarkable piece of art, made by the Noldor Elves of Valinor in the Uttermost West, lay on a pedestal hidden under a velvet cloth.

...

It was the afternoon of a surprisingly hot day. The climate was so hot in fact, that it was enough to keep the hobbits from going to work in the vast fields that surrounded their village.

All around the village, small birds were singing enthusiastically in the trees and colorful snakes were hissing happily on the rocks surrounding the riverbank.

Most of the small-folk, though, were spending their evening lounging at the edges of the small river running on the edge of the Shire. So it was no great surprise for the other residents of the Shire to spot the two lone residents of the spacious Bag End sitting out on the bank of the river catching fish with their fishing poles. Or rather, trying to catch fish.

Frodo was lying lazily on the grass staring up at the clouds in the sky with a relaxed look on his face. '' How long do you suppose it will take to catch a fish with the fishing rod, Naruto?'' he muttered, wiping sweat off his forehead.

'' Want to bet that it'll be the whole day? It's so hot that I wonder if the fish are in as much of a coma as we are?'' Naruto retorted, turning his head slightly to cock an eye with the dark haired hobbit. '' The looser shall have to do anything that the winner tells him to do.''

Frodo burst out laughing; he knew of Naruto's incredible luck in gambling and card-games, having witnessed it personally the first time the Kyuubi-vessel had entered the tavern of Green Dragon and had played cards with Old Ham Gamgee and several other members of the Older Folk.

'' Absolutely not! Are you crazy?'' he retorted.'' The last time we made a bet you threw me in the river. It was a good thing I had told you I know how to swim a little. If not, you would have seen a drowning hobbit.''

'' You know I would have saved you eventually before you had drowned, Frodo.'' Naruto chuckled, turning to stare at the fishing rod.'' Besides, having a dip in the river in this weather is a rather good thing actually since it's so damn hot.''

'' Why don't you throw yourself in the river and catch us some fish while you're at it, Naruto!'' Frodo retorted, moving his left arm to rest on his forehead to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun.'' Actually, why don't you try that water walking thing you told me about? You read the scroll, didn't you?''

'' Water walking usually comes after learning how to walk up trees using your chakra, Frodo.'' Naruto mumbled. He, too, moved his arm to shield his eyes from the sun. '' And you know my progress in tree walking.'' he continued with a small laugh.

Frodo burst into a fit of sniggers as he recalled the incident that had happened a week ago.

Naruto had been trying to walk up a tree, but after passing the two meter mark, his foot had slipped off the bark. The resounding impact with the ground had left him with a rather bruised tail- bone. But what had been even more humiliating for the poor ninja, was that the incident had left him with a difficulty to sit for several days.

'' You bet I do, Naruto!'' he chortled, which earned him a reproachful glare from the blond haired ninja. '' But you have to admit you've gotten better at it.''

'' Sure, sure, but I haven't even reached the damn half way mark on that damn tree!'' Naruto cursed. He had sat up and was now brushing off the dust from his orange t-shirt. '' But I might as well try my luck in fishing in the river the ninja way.''

'' This will be rather entertaining. Are you sure you don't want any more spectators?'' Frodo inquired which earned him another glare from his friend.

'' You might as well shut your mouth or you will find yourself in the river faster than you can blink, Mr Baggins!'' Naruto warned his friend whilst stripping off his clothes until he was standing in just his boxers.

Frodo piped down and watched with wide- eyed interest as Naruto closed his eyes in concentration. He then guided the needed amount of chakra into his legs before stepping on the surface of the water.

Frodo held his breath as he watched Naruto stepping on the water.

A few steps were taken, then…

**SPLASH!**

Much to Naruto's embarrassment, and to Frodo's absolute hilarity, the situation was just as humiliating as when the young ninja had first tried water walking. He resurfaced after a moment and was greeted by gales of laughter issuing from his hobbit friend, who was practically rolling on the ground holding his ribs which were aching from so much laughter.

The laughter was quickly silenced, when a small, green scaled fish sailed through the air and smacked him on the face with a wet '**splat**'.

'' Oy, that wasn't very nice, Naruto!'' Frodo spluttered, and coughed out the water that had gotten into his throat.'' I got water in my sinuses and my throat!''

'' You earned it big time, Frodo!'' Naruto answered with a smirk, casually leaning his elbows on the grassy bank of the river.

The small fish was jumping back and forth on the surface of the ground as it tried to get back into the river.

Frodo finally stopped spluttering, and gave Naruto the evil eye.''_ Oh, some way or another, I will get my revenge, Naruto!_'' the hobbit thought darkly, feeling rather vexed about the smirk on his friend's face.

...

Sakura cursed wearily and dropped the old, heavy book on the black marble floor.

It hit the marbled floor with an echoing thud.

For a whole year she'd been looking for a way to get back to her world, but all she had found were dusty old books and hundreds of scrolls with information that had nothing to do what she was looking for.

And what was worse, she was beginning to lose hope of ever being able to return home; to see the faces of her parents, little sister, her shishou, Tsunade, and her friends! She still remembered their faces clearly, but she was beginning to accept the inedible truth, that she might never see them face to face again.

And she really had come to hate this place. Yes, she liked the stables, the gardens and the woods beyond Orthanc, but she hated the building itself with its dark pieces of furniture and the dark cold rooms with no windows whatsoever, expect for that one window in that one room.

Even Saruman felt less sociable; he tended to be busy with his own things these days and they seldom had the chance to talk during the day. Well, they usually exchanged a few formalities when he brought her food, but all in all he was nothing like her friend Gandalf the Grey.

The young woman cursed softly under her breath and shivered as a cold draft floated into the room from somewhere. There may have been a fireplace in her room but it never seemed to be able to warm up the entire living space.  
She was curled up in an armchair near the fireplace with a cup of tea held in her left hand, a warm blanket over her legs and the scroll given to her by Gandalf sprawled open in her lap. Though she was reading over it, she really wasn't paying much attention to the scribbles on the paper.

It had only been a day since Gandalf had unexpectedly come to Isengard for a visit. She had been a little shocked to find out from him, that Naruto had told Frodo about the Kyuubi, but also relieved that it hadn't caused too much of a rift between her teammate's and the hobbit's friendship.

Still, it had taken some time for Frodo to trust Naruto again. He had been quite upset, that the male Shinobi had kept such a dangerous secret from him, his uncle Bilbo and the whole Shire.

It had taken time to patch up the friendship that had sparked during the day of Bilbo Baggins's 111th birthday, but now everything had returned back to normal in the Shire, and Naruto and Frodo were able to live normally in the house of Bag End without any more secrets between them.

'' Naruto, '' she murmured out loud, staring at the crackling wood in the fireplace,'' I wonder what you have been doing these days. Probably having fun with all the friends you've become close to. Gandalf did say you were having a rather big celebration in Bag End at the time he left to come here to Isengard.''

**'' Maybe you should return to the Shire, girl! That way you'll get to see your team-mate again instead of wondering out loud like an idiot over what has been up to while you've been living in this dreary structure of rock for a whole year! SHANNARO!''**

Sakura jumped as a rather familiar, shrill voice was heard in her head. '' Inner… Sakura!'' she gasped.'' But… how?''

'' **I've been there in your head all this time, but I've just decided to stay quite till now…** '' she answered with a small smirk. '' **The reasons for that are my own and I won't be telling you what they are.''**

'' Oh… well as for your question on why I still want to stay here in Isengard.'' Sakura mumbled tiredly, brushing her long fringe of hair that had flopped down her eyes aside absentmindedly before taking a small sip from her teacup. '' I still need to do research.''

**''Why? Why would you want to stay in this place? You said yourself that this structure of rock feels like being stuck in a dark, dreary cave with no way out!''** Inner Sakura huffed, but her voice held a tint of worry for the real Sakura's wellbeing.

She looked so pale, with dark circles under her eyes from not sleeping well in days. Her pink hair that had grown well past her shoulders, was hanging in limp strands down her back and she looked considerably thinner than normal.

'' There is the stable, the trees and the woods…''

'' **But your still hungry for company! Hungry to be among the people you know! Shannaro! Gandalf was worried when he came to see you here yesterday. Your depression was lifted during that time but when he left this morning, your depression returned! Shannaro, you haven't eaten anything the whole day!**'' Inner Sakura retorted shrilly.

Sakura glared down at the cup of tea in her hand. It was true; she had slowly started to become depressed three months ago. '' I miss them all. Gandalf, even though I just saw him yesterday, Naruto, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Sam… my family, shishou and my friends in Konoha.'' she whispered in a choked voice.

She stood up to her feet, gripping the cup so tightly in one hand that it almost shattered. Her green eyes glared into the flames while her other hand reached inside the pouch strapped on her belt. She rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a rather old photograph she had carried around with her ever since she'd become a ninja.  
She peered down at the photograph that held the image of the boy she had been so in love with for so many years. The pale skin, dark eyes, black hair, lean and muscular body and the aura of confidence in his abilities had been what had kept her hooked, but now whenever he stared at the picture she felt different.

A burning, searing anger was now what flooded her heart every time she saw his face. Anger at having her kindness and care shoved back in her face every time she tried to get close to him! Anger at herself for having become so blind to everything else that mattered; true friendship, true will to make her happy.  
Sasuke hadn't even hesitated to knock her out when she had tried to stop him from leaving Konoha.  
She turned to stare into the mirror on the mantelpiece above the fireplace and cringed when he saw the image of herself looking back at her; pale, thin and with dark circles around her eyes.

'' _Who am I really_?'' Sakura wondered inwardly as she squeezed the hand holding the photograph of Sasuke into a fist.'' _Am I so obsessed with Sasuke that I let myself fall into depression and break the promise I made to Gandalf? Am I really so weak?''_

'' **Oy, wake up Sakura**!'' Inner Sakura called out in frustration; she had been trying to get her dominate part to answer her for the past five minutes.' **ARE YOU DEAF?''**

'' No… no I'm not deaf.'' Sakura whispered. She set the cup on the small table next to the armchair and slipped her hand in her pouch again. She pulled out the picture of team seven and slowly advanced towards the fireplace.

'' **What are… you do…**'' Inner Sakura gasped, but stopped talking when the real Sakura kneeled in front of the fireplace and threw the picture of Sasuke into the flames. She then held the picture of team seven near the flames and watched them burn the side of where Sasuke had been standing. She left only the images of Naruto and Kakashi sensei.

'' A new beginning, I hope.'' Sakura said quietly, but a small smile was now tugging at her lips as she watched the spot where she had thrown the picture of Sasuke. '' Forgetting about Sasuke won't be as easy as burning this photograph, but I'll try to move on with my life. ''

'' **You're going back to the Shire?** '' Inner Sakura whispered, falling on her butt inside his dominate-part's head. '' You're really going back to Bag End?''

Sakura just laughed at her inner Sakura's reaction, grabbed the scroll Gandalf had given her and walked towards the huge black wardrobes to gather up all her personal belongings.

'' I'm sorry father, and Ruby.'' Sakura thought inwardly with a sad smile on her face. She took out her green dress and folded it nicely before stuffing it in her travelling-pack '' And I'm sorry, mother. I won't be returning home yet.''

...

Another long, work-filled year had passed since Naruto and Sakura had first appeared in the strange land of Middle Earth.

And a great many things had changed from the one rainy, stormy day the Kyuubi-vessel had opened the round door of Bag End and had found his teammate standing soaking wet on the doorstep.

The woman had been hungry and exhausted from the long hours of travelling, but had still grinned happily at the look of absolute shock on her teammate's face upon their reunion.

It really had been such a peaceful time to everyone, and life in the hobbit- village had gone like it had always done for centuries. The hobbits fields had grown crop and the crop was then gathered for use. The gardens and animals were tended to and children were fed and taken care of in a peaceful land. But there were changes in the society as well.

Both Shinobi had found jobs they really enjoyed doing.

Sakura had opted to help Rosie Cotton in a bar called the Green Dragon and working as a babysitter for the small hobbit children, while their parents worked in the fields during the day.

Naruto worked in the fields during the day but whenever he had time, he joined his teammate to babysit the children; or he was fishing, or chopping firewood.  
It really wasn't an odd scene now to see Naruto sitting by the riverbank fishing with old Ham Gamgee whilst keeping an eye on the small hobbit children he and Sakura were babysitting, playing by the riverbed.

But it is known that such peaceful times won't last forever.

Naruto was the first to sense an evil force far away from the Shire; and yet it was something to become worried about. He was shaken at the realization that it was the same powerful force he, Sakura and Gandalf had sensed radiating from the ring Bilbo had left for Frodo.  
Of course, the situation forced him, Sakura and Frodo to make a decision to not speak a word of the evil sprouting somewhere in faraway lands to the Shire folk.  
It would have caused panic among the Shire-folk and questions of how they knew that danger was sprouting somewhere in the far beyond would be asked.

At this time of the day, the Kyuubi -vessel was sitting outside in the garden of Bag End lost deep in his thoughts.

Naruto smiled as his thoughts turned to what had happened last night. She and Sakura had been outside in the garden, talking like they normally did every day since she had returned to the Shire, when he had suddenly gotten the urge to kiss her.

And she hadn't pulled away. She had only deepened the kiss.

There had been small signs before that she had taken interest in him, but he had been afraid that her feelings were only a passing moment, and was afraid to let things get further. He had been so puzzled as to why she had become so different from the Sakura he had known but it had been a welcome change.

It took several weeks for him to finally begin realizing that what was happening wasn't a dream, but the real thing. Sakura was finally, after years of waiting, ready and wanting to have a relationship with him.  
And she had been doing an admirable job of being patient for once and letting him get used to the situation. First there had been the small, almost unnoticeable signs of affection shown between the two of them before the signs were noted by others in the public.  
Now they were even thinking of becoming engaged to each other, but marriage was something they hadn't even thought about yet and their thoughts of becoming engaged wasn't something they hadn't revealed to the public yet.

Humming, he put his hands behind his back and lay on the grass, staring up into the stars and remembering.

'' Naruto!''

Hearing the soft, familiar voice speaking from behind him, Naruto sat up and looked behind him. He grinned as he saw Sakura standing there wearing her sleeveless red top and a skirt that came up to her knees.

'' Hey, Sakura!'' he said, gesturing for her to sit down.

She smiled, and much to the young man's surprise, she sat down in his lap and kissed him softly on the lips.

Naruto deepened the kiss slightly and let his hands snake under her sleeveless top.

Sakura sighed in contentment as she felt Naruto's warm hands caressing the skin on her back, and the feel of his lips now planting soft kisses on her neck.

They went at it for a while until Naruto finally pulled away slightly, his cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment.

Sakura giggled when she realized the reason to why he had pulled away, for the answer was literally poking at her from under his trousers.

Kissing him on the lips one more time, she stood up for a moment then sat back down beside him. They didn't speak after that, but they didn't need to, for they already knew what the other was thinking. They had both enjoyed it very, very much.

Meanwhile…

Screams echoed through the halls of Barad-dûr, Sauron's fortress; screams of torment coming from a withered creature.  
The creature didn't realize it then, but through his screams his tormenters were able to discern two words; two very important words.

''HIEEAAAHHH! SHIRE… AHHHH… BAGGINSSSS!''.

The Mountain of Doom erupted, sending burning, scorching hot lava flowing towards the completely bare ground of black, scorched rocks, boulders and hot ash.

The Gates of Barad- dur were opened and nine riders dressed in black rode out with a mission to accomplish. They all knew what they needed to accomplish.

''Find the Ring… and the one… who has it…!'' their master had ordered.

...

A lone rider had stopped his horse on top of a hill, from which one could see the looming dark mountains that neighbored Mordor.

It was Gandalf whom stared out in the distance where the mountain of fire surrounded by red light, was erupting. His eyes were shadowed with alarm as his worst ever fear were realized.

Sauron was back, seeking to rule over all of Middle Earth.

Turning his horse around quickly, Gandalf rode to a city called Minas Tirith, the White City of Gondor.

When he reached the city, he walked through the streets with haste. He eventually found a guide to take him down to the city's library where every old, important book, paper and manuscript waited to be read.  
Inside the underground library, the guide held out the torch over one of the shelves which held very old papers, books and manuscripts.  
Gandalf thanked him and proceeded to pull out a large selection of papers. Whilst reading and going over piles of paper, he stacked the ones that held no information for what he needed to the side.

It continued like this, until he found what he was looking for.

_In the year 3434 of the Second Age_,'' the wizard read. '' _Here follows the account of Isildur, the High King of Gondor; and the finding of the Ring of Power. It has come to me, the One Ring… It should be an heirloom of my kingdom. All those who follow in my bloodline should be bound to its fate, for I will risk no hurt to the Ring…It is precious to me… though I buy it with a great pain… The markings on the band begin to fade… The writing which was at first as clear as red flame has all but disappeared, a secret now that only fire can tell… ''_

Gandalf looked up and stared at the wall of the library. He knew now what to look for once he returned to the Shire. The markings that would either reveal that Bilbo had indeed held the one ring in his possession.

Or it would reveal… nothing!

...

Two months later in the Shire…

A hobbit was chopping firewood outside his house, when he was startled by the appearance of a hooded rider in black, riding a horse. The frightening fellow seemed to have no face and his horse looked like something that had come back from the dead.  
The hobbit's pet dog barked at the stranger, but seeing it had no effect on the ominious rider, it retreated into the house, whining in fear.

"**Shire! Baggins!"** the rider hissed.

Fear clenched at the hobbit's heart even more. _'' This… hooded man is evil. I can see it by just looking at him. J-just who is this being?'' he thought frantically._

"Th…there's no Bagginses around here." he stuttered, moving back towards the door. ''There out in Hobbiton."

The rider moved towards him. Now extremely frightened, the hobbit gestured to the left and exclaimed loudly: '' That way!"

The rider rode off, and the hobbit retreated quickly into his house and leaned his back on the closed front door. He rested his head on one of his palms. He felt ashamed at putting a member of the village in danger by telling the rider where he lived. _'' I'm sorry, Frodo Baggins, but I have to live… for my family.'' he thought, tears coming to his eyes._

Meanwhile in Hobbiton, inside the pub called '_The Green Dragon'_, Naruto Uzumaki was suddenly on his feet faster than anyone inside could blink. The pint he had been drinking from fell to the floor and broke with a loud clatter.  
Sakura, who had been carrying two trays of bread to a table, froze in her tracks with a disbelieving look on her face.

All the laughter and singing ceased in the pub, when the hobbits turned to look at them. This was becoming a frequent event in these days, but they didn't know that the two ninjas were sensing the evil that was becoming easier and easier to sense as days went by.

'' _The evil; it's drawing even nearer, again_. '' Naruto muttered quietly to Frodo.

His words put a frown on the face of the dark haired hobbit.

'' I wish Gandalf would return to the Shire soon.'' the Kyuubi- vessel continued, grabbing a new pint that Sam pushed in his direction. He took a great gulp of the ale he had come to enjoy every once in a while.

Later that evening, after long talks about strange fellows passing the borders of the Shire, and talks about Bilbo being cracked in the head and Frodo cracking like the old hobbit, and several more long arguments and grim jokes that had everyone in the pub craving for more ale, Frodo, Naruto, Sam, Ham Gamgee and Sakura made their way towards their homes.

Well, after Sam had said farewell to Rosie Cotton that is.

Sakura was fuming mad by the time they stepped over the threshold of the Green Dragon on their way out.

_'' What in_ _the world had come over those boys that had made them want to drink so much? If anyone was cracking around the Shire, it was everyone in that pub! Yes, I too drink ale sometimes, but not as much as those foolish men_.'' she thought morosely, as she gripped the sides of her gown to keep the long hem from dragging on the ground as she walked. It was a beautiful pink and red dress with long sleeves that was commonly used in the hobbit society. She wore it whenever she worked in the pub.

As she saw the way Sam and Old Mr Gamgee were stumbling forward with the help of her boyfriend, she shook her head in exasperation. '' _They're going to have monstrous hangover by tomorrow, I'm sure. Well, at_ _least the alcohol hadn't muddled up Naruto's brains too much, thank goodness, and Frodo hadn't drunk as much as everyone else.''_

After escorting Sam home for the night, they turned and walked towards their home in Bag End. But what Frodo, Naruto and Sakura saw once they reached the gates was a great shock to all three of them.

'' What in the…? '' Naruto cursed as he grabbed the keys from Frodo's pocket and hurried through the gates and all the way to the door. Fumbling slightly with the keys, he unlocked the door and practically ran inside. He had two well sharpened kunais held in his hand.

When he reached the lobby, he froze in his tracks in utter disbelief.

Frodo and Sakura were just as shocked when they came to the doorway of the lobby.

Someone had opened a window inside Bag End. Shredded paper had been thrown all over the floor and loose pages from dozens upon dozens of books were flapping about in the wind that was coming from the open window.

''Whoever was here, or is here, was obviously looking for something.'' Naruto growled, baring his teeth as he walked towards the kitchen. He was trying to sense if the burglar or whoever it was, was still the house.

'' _First the feeling of evil here in the Shire… and now someone's broke into Bag End.'' _Sakura thought inwardly, squeezing the handle of her kunai tightly. '' _What does all of this mean?''_

Suddenly, a hand came out of the shadows and grabbed Frodo by the shoulder.

Sakura immediately spun around at hearing her friend's startled yelp.

And what happened next was utter mayhem.

The kunoichi threw her kunai from the kitchen door where she had been standing, but the stranger quickly ducked and the weapon struck the wall behind him, or her.

But the person was surprised when Sakura used the substitution technique on Frodo just as a dark figure leapt out of the shadows.

The burglar tried to defend itself against the female shinobi's kick and Naruto's punch, but was sent flying hard against the wall with a 'thump'. The strength of the two ninja's combined power left a crack in the surface upon the burglar's impact with the wall.

Frodo gasped when he found himself held tightly to Sakura's chest as they stood in the middle of the lobby. Naruto hurried over to stand in front of the two with a kunai held ready for use if necessary.

Sakura let go of Frodo and together she and Naruto formed a human shield around the hobbit.

But what happened next was something they didn't expect.

'' COMFOUND YOU UZUMAKI NARUTO AND HARUNO SAKURA!''

''GANDALF!'' Naruto and Sakura cried out in disbelief, dropping their stances around Frodo as the wizard limped into the lobby, looking absolutely livid.

''YES!'' Gandalf exclaimed before turning to look at Frodo who was standing behind the two ninja with just as much of a shocked look on his face as his friends.'' Is the ring secret, Frodo? Is it SAFE?''

Frodo nodded, slightly startled at the wizard's obvious uneasy demeanor and hurried to the other side of the lobby where he kept the old treasure chest. Unlocking the chest, and dumping several important papers to the floor, he finally held out the envelope where the ring was kept.

Gandalf said nothing as he snatched it out of his fingers and threw it into the flames of the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" Frodo asked in confusion and slight anger at the wizard's odd behavior.

The Istari only grunted before grabbing a pair of tongs and slowly retrieved the ring from the fireplace when it was revealed from the burning envelope.

"Hold out your hand Frodo." he said to the confused hobbit.

The hobbit looked up at the wizard unsurely.

Sakura and Naruto just watched, holding their breath as they waited for what was going to happen. Two years ago, it had become clear to them that the ring held evil. But now Gandalf had come back with the answers to what kind was held within the ring and if it had anything to do with the strange evil they had been sensing far beyond the Shire.

''Its quite cool." Gandalf said to Frodo as he held the tongs over Frodo's hand and dropped the ring on the hobbit's palm.

Frodo flinched, but the ring didn't burn his skin at all.

"What can you see?" asked Gandalf as Naruto and Sakura stared at their hobbit friendas they waited for him to speak up. ''Can you see anything?"

Frodo rotated the ring around with his fingers, but saw nothing but smooth, glowing metal.'' Nothing… there's nothing," he answered.

Gandalf sighed and looked suddenly defeated. He had believed, and put hope into it, that Bilbo's ring was what he was looking for.

Then…

'' Wait!'' the hobbit spoke up, shocked to see tiny runes appearing into the smooth surface of the ring; runes that were glowing.

Gandalf tensed, waiting for the hobbit to continue. He had been right after all. The ring Bilbo had found was indeed the One Ring of Power; Sauron's ring.

'' There are markings." Frodo continued as Naruto moved closer to see the ring for himself.

Naruto's eyes widened in wonder, when he saw the flaming runes.

'' It's some form of Elvish, I can't read it." Frodo continued.

"There are few who can." Gandalf said grimly. ''The language is that of Mordor, which I shall not utter here."

'' Mordor?'' Frodo questioned.

Naruto frowned, fingering the steel on his kunai. Sakura leaned against her boyfriend, looking worriedly at the wizard as Gandalf spoke up, translating the runes into something they could understand.

"In the common tongue, it says.'' the wizard said quietly.'' _One ring to rule them all… One ring to find them… One ring to bring them all… and in the darkness… BIND THEM!_"

'' One ring to rule them all… '' Sakura repeated so quietly that only Naruto, whom was standing next to her, heard what she was saying ''…One Ring to find them…''

'' One ring to bring them all…'' Naruto whispered, '' and in the darkness, bind them."

The two ninjas from Konoha glanced at each other meaningfully. After nearly a year of peaceful, easy going life in the Shire, a new chapter in their adventure was just beginning.

**End of Chapter 4**


	5. Chapter 5 The Journey Begins

**Chapter 5 The Journey Begins**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Shippuden or Lord of the Rings.**

**No money is made out of this story**

**Chapter Summary: Gandalf has returned to Bag End. What news will he bring with him and what problems will come of it? **

...

Several hours had passed from the moment Naruto and Sakura had realized that they had attacked their wizard friend.

Gandalf was silently sipping the tea that Sakura had made for him. For several hours he had been telling Frodo, Naruto and Sakura the history of the forging of the Great Rings and about the Last Alliance between men and elves.

All three of them were listening very attentively to his every word.

'' This is the One Ring.'' Gandalf stated, taking another small sip. '' Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron… in the fires of Mount Doom.

'_'The ring Isildur cut from Sauron's finger_.'' Naruto thought inwardly, gripping his cup so tightly it almost shattered.

'' One Ring to bring them all… and in the darkness bind them.'' Sakura whispered to herself. She shivered, despite the warmth in the house.

'' Bilbo found it… in Gollum's cave.'' Frodo murmured forlornly, looking at his own cup of untouched tea.

''Yes, for sixty years the ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life and delaying old age." Gandalf said quietly.'' But no longer, Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The ring has awoke, for it's heard its master's call."

"But he was destroyed!" Frodo exclaimed, looking scared. "Sauron was destroyed!"

Naruto shuddered as his ears picked up the same, evil voice that had spoken to him the day Bilbo had left the Shire emitting from the small golden ring. It was calling to him again. Closing his eyes for a moment to block out the terror that had risen inside of him, he turned to Frodo.

'' Sauron… is bound to the ring, Frodo.'' he said rather shakily.'' Just like Kyuubi is bound to the seal that the Forth Hokage made to trap him in me. The Kyuubi can not be killed unless I'm killed.''

Frodo gasped, swirling around to look at Sakura who clenched her hands into fists and nodded to the hobbit. '' So, it's true.'' the hobbit whispered shakily, feeling a little sick as the image of his friend being mutilated to death by the people who wanted nothing more than to have the Kyuubi destroyed, came to his mind.

'' As horrible as it sounds, Frodo, Naruto speaks the truth.'' Gandalf said quietly, putting a hand on Frodo and Sakura's shoulders. The both of them were looking sick at the thought of Naruto having to be killed. "The spirit of Sauron endured. His life force is bound to the ring, and the ring survived. Now Sauron has returned! His orcs have multiplied. His fortress of Barad-dûr is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness.'' He is seeking it… seeking it, and all his thought is bent on it. The ring, yearns above all else to return to the hand of it's master. They are one, the ring and the Dark Lord. ''

Gandalf leaned across the table to look more deeply into Frodo's eyes and said: ''Frodo, he must never find it."

"Alright!" Frodo exclaimed as he grabbed the golden ring from the surface of the table and walked to the lobby in a hurry.'' We put it away! We keep it hidden and never speak of it again! No one knows its here, do they?"

Frodo then froze in his tracks as a horrible thought came to his mind. Something he himself had said earlier.'' Do they, Gandalf?"

Frodo turned to stare at the wizard, when he didn't hear an immediate answer. His eyes were wide and pleading.

Naruto watched the change in Frodo's expression with sadness before averting his eyes down to the carpet. He had a feeling that they would have to leave the Shire today, so he had sent Sakura to the bedrooms earlier on to pack up their stuff.

It hurt to think that his friend's beliefs of safety would soon be burned to the ground.

There was one other, the creature that had once been a riverside dweller. A creature that had held the ring in his position for five hundred years.

''There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the ring." Gandalf sighed, giving voice to Naruto's thoughts. "I looked everywhere for the creature, Gollum. But the enemy found him first. I don't know how long they tortured him, but amidst the endless screams and inane babble, they discerned two words.''

'' Bilbo shouldn't have told Gollum where he lived.'' Naruto said quietly, realizing what Gandalf was implying. He shuddered when a chill went down his back. He was worried, and not just about sweat dripped down his back and forehead. Kyuubi, who had been asleep all through the twenty-four months he's stayed in Middle Earth, was now stirring inside of him because of the voice of Sauron still speaking to him through the ring.

He was finding it harder and harder to contain the urge to grab the ring from Frodo.

His soft voice surprised the wizard, and Frodo who had almost forgotten that they weren't the only ones in the house.'' If he had only told him his name…''

'' Those who follow the Dark Lord would not have known that the Ring is here in the Shire.'' Gandalf finished gravely, closing his eyes for a moment before looking at Frodo who was staring at them both in horror filled realization.

'' Gollum! Uncle Bilbo? The Shire!'' Frodo stuttered. '' BUT THAT WOULD LEAD THEM HERE!''

At that exact time, in another part of the Shire, a hobbit whom had been working as the night watchman had suddenly come face to face with the five approaching Black Riders.

Fear and horror struck the old hobbit at the sight of the faceless riders. He tried to run to safety, but the leader of the Black Riders drew his old, slightly rusted sword from the scabbard in the folds of his billowing black cloak (that seemed to suck the nights darkness into it to make it seem even darker), and swiped the hobbit's head clean off his shoulders.

The following morning, the hobbits sleeping close by would be greeted by a blood curling scream from a young, brown haired hobbit girl carrying a basket of bread. It would be this young woman who finds the bloody and severed head of his father lying on the sidewalk along with the rest of the corps.

The expression frozen on the severed head was that of pure terror.

...

"Take it Gandalf!" Frodo cried out, moving closer to the wizard and shoving the Ring closer to him. Gandalf backed away from, but Frodo was persistent. '' Take it! YOU MUST TAKE IT!''

'' You can not offer me this ring!'' Gandalf said firmly, backing away.

'' I'm giving it to you!'' Frodo practically shouted.

''DON'T tempt me Frodo!'' Gandalf said loudly.

Frodo froze, and lowered his arm.

'' I can not take it, not even to keep it safe.'' Gandalf told the hobbit shakily. '' Understand, Frodo… that I would use this ring to do good. But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.''

'' But it can not stay in the Shire!'' Frodo exclaimed. He didn't care for the safety of himself; he only cared for the safety of the other hobbits living in the Shire.

'' No… no it can't.'' Gandalf admitted, shaking his head.

Frodo clenched the hand that held the ring into a fist. '' What must I do?'' he said firmly. He needed to protect those in the Shire, and he would do anything to accomplish it.

Gandalf was going to answer, when a strange, animistic voice spoke from behind him, saying: '' Give it to me. Give me the ring… Frodo Bagginsss.''

Frodo winced as he turned around and gasped in horror at what he saw…

Naruto, the young man he had come to know so well was approaching him slowly, but he didn't look the same. He looked possessed and his eyes, normally so blue and full of mischief and happiness, were horribly changed.

They were red, and his pupils had turned into that of a cat's, or fox's. He had grown canine teeth and the whisker like scars were now more pronounced than ever.

''G... Gandalf.'' the hobbit gasped, shuddering as he backed away from Naruto.

'' By the Valar! NARUTO, SNAP OUT OF IT!'' Gandalf roared, stepping between the two of them. Before Naruto could lunge himself at the hobbit the wizard used a burst of his power and sent the Kyuubi container crashing into the wall so hard that the wall almost broke under the impact.

Scared and enraged by what had occurred, Gandalf stalked over to the boy who was already getting up with the same crazed expression on his face, and used the magic of his staff to pin him against the wall.

'' I said snap out of it, Uzumaki Naruto! '' he hissed firmly.'' Don't forget who you are! Don't let the Kyuubi control you, or let Sauron's ring muddle your senses! Return to us, boy!''

'' Naruto, please, you have to listen to Gandalf!'' Frodo exclaimed, shoving aside the fear inside him. He approached them slowly, and shoved the ring into the pocket on his vest. '' Please don't forget who you really are, Naruto!''

'' NARUTO!'' Sakura screamed, having heard the commotion from the bedrooms. She had come running to the lobby, only to see a completely crazed Naruto being held against the wall by Gandalf's magic.

She hurried to Gandalf and her boyfriend and knelt in front of Naruto. '' Naruto, please turn back! TURN BACK!''

She wanted to sob as she desperately shook Naruto by the shoulders as hard as she could. She was answered by a clawed hand swiping her across the cheek and sending her crashing against one of the armchairs.

Frodo gasped in horror and looked away for a moment, clenching his hands into fists. Tears were rolling down his face and dropping to the carpeted floor.

The look of emotional pain on Sakura's now scarred and bleeding face as she sat up was something he had never seen before. Was the young woman loosing the person she loved because of the ring? No, that couldn't happen! It wouldn't! IT WOULDN'T!

Anger suddenly flooded Frodo's heart. Anger at the Kyuubi, anger at the ring, and anger at Sauron whose fault it was that the ring had come to be. Stalking to where Gandalf was struggling to keep the possessed Naruto against the wall with his magic and Sakura futilely trying to break the hold of the Kyuubi's emotions, Frodo punched Naruto hard across the face.

'' The boy I'm seeing right now is not the real you, Naruto!'' he hissed, not even noticing the look of complete shock on Gandalf's, and Sakura's expressions.

Punching him a second time, he said forcefully:'' NOT the boy I came to know during the many months you've stayed here! NOT the boy who would do everything to earn the trust of everyone here in the Shire!''

Naruto growled as he momentarily broke free of Gandalf's restraints. Frodo had no change to dodge before he was struck across the face by Naruto's clawed hand.

Sakura screamed as the small hobbit was flung hard against the wall, and Gandalf cursed loudly as he once again used his magic to trap the blond.

Frodo slowly struggled to his feet, wincing from the pain on his face, head and back. Blood was dripping down his cheek from the three noticeable claw marks that had been raked across his face. And yet there was determination in his eyes. With a shout, he lunged forward and delivered a fierce kick to Naruto's jaw.

The crack, that resounded from the attack and Naruto's head snapping to the side from the impact made Gandalf and Sakura wince, but Frodo didn't seem to be bothered by the noise.

Punching his friend a third time, he nearly sobbed as he yelled:'' YOU ARE NOT THE BOY I CAME TO SEE AS FAMILY! NOT THE BOY WHO SWORE AN OATH TO PROTECT EVERYONE HERE IN THE SHIRE!AND NOT…'' Frodo exclaimed, summoning the last of the strength he could muster to his aching muscles and gave the Kyuubi container one last punch in the face before sliding to his knees next to Sakura. '' THE BOY SAKURA HAS COME TO LOVE MORE THAN ANYONE IN THE WORLD!''

Moments passed in absolute silence. Frodo, and Sakura were silently crying, while Gandalf was holding his breath. Waiting… hoping that something would happen. Another minute passed. Then, much to the joy of everyone, Naruto's Kyuubi eyes slowly changed back to normal. The fangs disappeared and the scars on his cheeks became less noticeable.

'' Naruto!'' Sakura whispered, lunging herself at her boyfriend. She threw her arms around the boy's neck and buried her head in his shoulder. Naruto shuddered at the contact, but didn't pull away. Instead, he buried his head in Sakura's soft, bright pink hair.

'' I- I lost control… didn't I?'' he whispered hoarsely, and the kunoichi could feel small, wet droplets landing on the skin on her neck.

'' Yes, yes you did… and we were almost unable to bring you back, but it was Frodo who succeeded.'' Sakura whispered in his ear; her hands were stroking his hair.

She smiled when he mumbled: '' It wasn't just Frodo. The look of pain on your face helped to stir up my human feelings.''

But her smile waned, when her boyfriend muttered almost brokenly '' But… what happens if I loose control again?''

Not knowing what to say, Sakura turned to look pleadingly at the wizard standing only a few feet away from them.

Gandalf sighed, shaking his head before walking over to the two ninjas. He knelt in front of Naruto and stared straight into the eyes of the young man. '' What exactly happened there, Naruto?

'' I… I heard a voice speaking inside my head.'' Naruto breathed out weakly. '' But this isn't the first time. The day Bilbo left the Shire I heard the same voice. At that time I had no idea who or what it was, but today it was confirmed that it was Sauron trying to tempt me to take the ring. And this time the urge became too strong, I couldn't control myself!''

Naruto paused for a moment as his voice began to crack. '' I'm…I'm scared, Gandalf. What if something like this will happen again while you're not around? If… if it hadn't been for you stopping me, I would have already been staring at the dead, mutilated bodies of both Sakura and Frodo.'''

Gandalf looked suddenly a lot older. ''I do not know.'' he said quietly, lowering a hand on the ninja's shoulder. '' I do not know why you didn't tell me about you hearing voices until now, either...''

Naruto closed his eyes with a grimace and looked guiltily away from the wizard.

''… but I'm not angry at you for what happened, Naruto.'' Gandalf finished, putting a hand under Naruto's chin and forced him to look at his eyes again. '' Like I said before, the ring can easily corrupt people. It's possible that Sauron is trying to find a way to corrupt your heart by using the evil intentions the Kyuubi still carries inside her heart. ''

Gandalf paused and breathed out a sigh. ''But thank the Valar, Sauron wasn't able to coax out any more of the catastrophic power that comes from your's and Kyuubi's chakra being mixed together. Otherwise… I would not have been able to keep you restrained. You should thank both Sakura and Frodo for changing you back to your normal self. ''

'' I hardly did anything. '' Sakura harrumphed, nudging her boyfriend. '' All the thanks should really go to Frodo.''

'' Thanks a lot, Frodo.'' Naruto muttered distractedly, but not ungratefully. He was still very dazed, and shocked by what had happened.

But when Frodo decided to give him a brief, brotherly hug, he couldn't help but grin weakly.

'' Nice punches and a kick you gave me, Frodo. It seems you've learned something from me after all.'' Naruto quipped, trying to make a joke, but instead earned a bash across the head by a relieved Sakura.

Gandalf couldn't help but grin briefly as he watched the young woman lecture Naruto on making bad jokes about such a topic before turning serious again. Naruto seemed to be himself again, but what would happen if the ring got hold of him again? That remained to be seen!

A little while later Frodo was standing in front of his by his closet, grabbing the things he needed and shoving them onto the table one by one. Sakura was helping him by quickly folding the clothes neatly before stuffing them inside Frodo's backpack.

Naruto was in the kitchen putting food inside his and Sakura's their traveling packs.

"You must leave, and do so soon." Gandalf commanded, watching the hustle and bustle around him. ''We may have wasted too much time.''

"I know I asked you this before, Gandalf, but where are we to go?" Frodo asked, handing over the last of his clothes to Sakura.

"Get out of the Shire, make for the village of Bree."

"Bree!" Frodo repeated thoughtfully to himself, grabbed his pack from the table and walked towards the kitchen with Sakura and Gandalf trailing behind him.'' The three of us might as well head towards the Buckleburry Ferry, cross the river with it and stay in the house of Crickhollow for one night and then head towards the village of Bree. But what about you?"

"I will be waiting for you at the Inn of the Prancing Pony. But what was this detour you spoke of? Why did you mention the house in Crickhollow?"

'' I, Naruto and Sakura had in mind to stay over in Buckland for some months as a change of scenery. The villagers of Buckland were gracious enough to lend us needed tables, chairs and other pieces of furniture. '' Frodo answered, opening a cabinet and pulling out a sack of apples.

He handed them to Sakura who was somehow able to squeeze them inside her already very full and heavy traveling pack. '' But I'm really worried about all of this. Are you able to assure me that the ring will be safe in Bree once we get there?''

"I don't know Frodo. I don't have any answers." Gandalf answered. "I must see the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me Frodo, he'll know what to do."

'' Saruman!'' Sakura pointed out as she put a loaf of bread in a clean cloth before shoving it in her own travelling pack. '' I met him in Isengard. He was a bit… well… Sasuke like. He was silent, and not very social, but all in all I don't think his of any danger to us. ''

Frodo nodded as he grabbed his pack and walked to the lobby. As he opened another closet, he strained his large ears to hear Gandalf's humored exclamation in the kitchen '' Silent? Not very social? Sasuke like? Leave it to you to make your own opinion of my Istari companion, but I can't help but say that I agree with what you're saying about him not being very social. But what did you mean when you said you don't think he is of any danger to us?''

Frodo didn't dare to breathe too loudly in case he missed anything important as he pulled out a warmer shirt and put it over the other and then took out a cloak.

'' Well... when I passed the room with the double doors he forbade me to enter it. And I sometimes heard him speaking with someone or something through the door, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. '' Sakura answered, nervously fiddling with the straps of her traveling pack. '' At first I just thought I was loosing my mind, but when I heard the same thing happening over and over again I started to wonder what was going on in that room. Maybe… maybe there's something sinister going on in Isengard that we don't know of. So please, please be careful when you go there, Gandalf!''

Frodo's breath caught in his throat, but he didn't dare to turn around to see how Gandalf would act to such information. But he strained his ears even more to hear the wizard's answer.

'' I'm glad you're taking this mission to keep Frodo safe so seriously. I remember telling you to be wary of any abnormalities happening around you. I'll remember your words when I go confront Saruman.'' Gandalf answered with a small smile as he walked to the lobby, only to see Frodo standing frozen in front of his closet. The hobbit's jacket buttons were open. '' And what are you up to, Frodo? Were you eavesdropping on a conversation between Sakura and I?''

'' Ah, well… umm… '' Frodo stuttered, jumping when he felt a hand drop onto his shoulder.

'' No worries there, boy! No worries!'' Gandalf chuckled, turning the hobbit around and helped him close his buttons before taking the dark green cloak from his friend's hands.

He helped the hobbit put on his cloak before continuing his speech. His expression had turned more serious. "If you're worried for my safety then rest assured that I'll watch my back! It's you I'm worried about, and Naruto and Sakura! You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you, for that name is not safe outside the Shire. Travel only by day, and stay off the road," he said as he took a walking stick from the rack and handed it to the hobbit.

"I can cut across the country easily enough." stated Frodo. The ring was already safe in his breast pocket.

Gandalf smiled at seeing the determined look on his face.

"Oh, my dear Frodo. Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you."

Frodo smiled at the wizard's complement.

Naruto sat over at the kitchen table not really looking at anything in particular. He kept hearing the conversation between the wizard and hobbit, and couldn't help but wonder if he should even risk going with Frodo. He really wanted to protect the hobbit that had become like a brother to him, but he was afraid of what may happen if the ring tried to take over him again.

Sakura looked at him worriedly, not really knowing what to say to reassure the boy he loved. '' Perhaps Gandalf will find something comforting to say to Naruto, or is he thinking it is too risky to let the both of us go with Frodo. What would I do then? Stay with my boyfriend and let Frodo go off on the journey alone? No, I wouldn't do such a thing! Naruto and I may have taught him to fight, but he isn't an expert. It would be dangerous and foolish to let him go on his own!''

Sighing, she lowered her hands on her boyfriend's shoulders and started massaging the tightened muscles. She giggled in appreciation when she heard the groan of pleasure issuing from his lips at her touch

Suddenly, a loud ''CRASH'' sounded outside the window, which made both ninjas jump to their feet and hurry to the lobby. What they saw almost made them laugh.

An angry Gandalf had a terrified Sam pinned to a desk.

''Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?" the wizard exclaimed loudly, demanding an answer.

"I haven't been dropping no eaves sir honest!" Sam said quickly, stumbling over the words in his hurry.

"Oh really?" Gandalf answered, not at all convinced.

"I … I was just cutting the grass under the window there. '' Sam stuttered nervously.

"A little late for trimming the verge, don't you think?" Gandalf pointed out, glancing in the direction of the ninjas. They were both trying to hide their laughter.

"I heard raised voices."

" What did you hear? SPEAK!" the wizard demanded fiercely, making everyone in the room jump at his raised voice.

"N- nothing important. That is I heard a great deal about a ring, a dark lord and something about the end of the world. And I saw… and heard Mr Naruto turn into something… unnatural and it scared me. ''

Naruto was helping Frodo to his feet, but at Sam's words he froze in his tracks. Frodo's mouth opened in shock and Sakura felt as if a stone had fallen into the pit of her stomach.

'' Damn it all! Sam is a very wary hobbit at times. And if he had seen Naruto become possessed, things are going to be very tense and uncomfortable between those two.'' she cursed inwardly, her face set in a frown.

'' I also heard that Frodo is going to leave the Shire with Sakura and Naruto which… which makes me wonder if Mr Frodo will be safe in their presence. P-please don't hurt me Mr. Gandalf sir. Don't turn me into anything… unnatural!''

Sam, Gandalf, Frodo and Sakura jumped when Naruto suddenly dropped his traveling pack on the carpeted floor before stomping to the door of Bag End without even glancing at his friends. He practically wrenched the door open and slammed it shut behind him.

Gandalf looked at the closed door for a moment with a sad expression on his face. It hadn't escaped his eyes, that the young man had a very tormented expression on his face as he had walked out of the door.

Frowning, he turned to Sam with both his hands on his hips.

'' Sam, as much as it scared me to see Naruto turn, as you say, unnatural, it doesn't make me see him as a truly evil being. The creature locked inside him is evil and the ring you heard about is evil. It can ensnare the minds of anyone here in middle Earth, unless their minds are strong enough to ignore it. I trust that Naruto will find a way to ignore the ring's calling and be no threat to Frodo, or you. Please have faith in him!''he spoke calmly.

'' I- I'll try, Gandalf. But it won't be easy.'' Sam answered quietly, looking at the ground.

Gandalf put a hand on his shoulder.

'' Well, you'll just have to get used to it. Actually, you'll have to work out your differences along the road because I'm assigning you as Frodo's fourth companion.'' he said grimly, looking down at the shocked look on Sam's face.

...

Some time later, a group of five were making their way towards the forests of the Shire.

"Come along, Samwise! Keep up!'' the wizard was heard commanding the chubby hobbit whom was trailing behind the group with the large traveling- pack he had hurriedly fetched from his house.

He had also told his father Ham Gamgee that he was heading to Bree with Frodo, Sakura and Naruto.

The old hobbit hadn't been happy to hear that his son was leaving the Shire to go to a place like Bree, but had finally bidden his son a fond goodbye, when Sam had been about to step outside the door of their small Hobbit- Hole.

The group consisting of five members walked along in silence for several minutes, before they finally stopped by grassland that was shadowed by trees.

"Be careful, all four of you. The enemy has many spies in his service. Birds… and beasts." Gandalf said worriedly. He handed Sakura the reins of his horse. He then knelt before Frodo.

"Is it safe?" he whispered.

Frodo nodded and touched his breast pocket with his hand.

"Never put it on, Frodo. The agents of the dark lord shall be drawn to its power. Always remember, that the ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found." Gandalf reminded the hobbit.

Naruto, whom was standing next to Frodo, was very aware of the watchful eyes of Sam.

Sighing through gritted teeth, he willed himself to not look in the hobbit's direction; he hated the reproachful glances.

His thoughts returned to when Sakura had found him sitting by the rose bush he and the pink haired kunoichi liked to excuse themselves whenever they needed time alone together. He had been pretty put out when Sakura had told him that Sam would be coming with them on the journey, but he was willing to put up with it. Well, if only Sam would hold his tongue and not make wild accusation whenever he even looked at Frodo the wrong way.

He was startled out of his morbid thoughts when Gandalf turned to look at him. The young man's blue eyes were shadowed with barely hidden pain.

The Istari sighed and ruffled his hair, which made Naruto grin slightly.

''Are you alright, Naruto? '' the wizard asked softly.

'' Do you still… trust me, Gandalf?'' Naruto muttered quietly, looking down at the grass under his feet.

He was slightly caught off guard when Gandalf's fingers lifted his head up to meet the warm eyes of the Grey Istari.

'' I do, Naruto. In fact I was afraid that I would have to kill you if you didn't turn back to your original self. You have become such an important friend and ally to me. '' Gandalf answered genuinely. '' Listen, boy, if you keep your mind on the mission to protect Frodo, and ignore what his carrying with him, you'll be fine.''

He smiled, when Naruto hugged him around the waist and buried his head in his Grey robes for a brief moment before letting go. Gandalf ruffled Naruto's blond hair, then turned and took the reins from Sakura. He let her hug him briefly before mounting his horse.

He then rode off, leaving the five of them standing there in silence.

Frodo's head snapped up to peer up at the canopy of leaves when he heard the chatter of birds up in the trees. Gandalf's words were firmly etched in his mind.

Sam noticed his apprehension. He walked up to his friend and gave him a reassuring look.

Sakura placed a hand on the hobbit's shoulder.

And Naruto, well Naruto was standing a bit further away from the group but Frodo took comfort from the boy's confident look which he was giving him.

"Let's go Frodo," he said, gesturing his hand towards the direction they were to go. And so the two hobbits and the two ninjas began their long, arduous trek through the forest on their way to Bree.

They crossed through small waterfalls and their slippery rocks, rivers small and big, and small and large lakes throughout the Shire.

Like Gandalf had told them, they avoided any roads they came across.

After a whole day of traveling, they came across a large farm field. But as Frodo started walking into the thickset of wheat, followed by Naruto and Sakura, Sam suddenly began hesitating. He stopped in his tracks, which of course brought the rest of the company to a halt.

'' This is it.'' he spoke, looking back to where they came from.

'' This is what?" asked Frodo, a confused look on his face.

'' If I take one more step, it will be the farthest away from home I've ever been." Sam answered, slightly embarrassed to admit his fear of leaving the safety of the familiar village, his home and his father.

'' Sam, going to Bree will be the furthest place I've gone to since Gandalf brought us to the Shire. And the Shire has been a home to me since that day. It's the only village that has ever truly accepted me into the society.'' Naruto spoke up from the front of the line of travelers.

He wasn't looking at the blond hobbit, but he was speaking to him specifically.'' And if you're scared of the dangers that lie ahead of us, then you are not alone in your fear!''

He started walking ahead, listening closely for any signs of danger.

'' He is right, you know, Sam.'' Sakura whispered, squeezing the hobbit's shoulder briefly before jogging off to walk beside her boyfriend.

Sam stared at their retreating backs with a thoughtful look on his face: '' _And if you're scared of the dangers that lie_ _ahead of us, then you are not alone in your fear_!'' he repeated to himself. '' _Really now, Samwise Gamgee, you are a fool. Of course Naruto still cares deeply for Frodo. I'm scared that he will become that thing with evil red eyes and sharp teeth like he did in Bag End, but I have to try and live with that fear and hope it will not happen again. I just wish Naruto would tell me what it was all about.'_

After a few moments of watching Sam standing silently there on the same spot, Frodo turned to speak to his best friend. He spoke only two words. "Come on Sam!"

Sam, almost reluctantly, took a step forward. Then another and soon he was walking deeper into the farm field with Frodo walking alongside him. The weight of his master's arm slung around his shoulders felt comforting, and brought more of the very much needed courage into the gardener's heart.

"Remember what Bilbo used to say.'' Frodo said suddenly as they walked.'' It's a dangerous business Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road and if you don't keep your feet there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

''Heh heh! If that's so, then I'm surprised you haven't wandered into some swamp during your morning walks.'' Naruto suddenly called out from the front of the line of travelers.

Frodo shot the Kyuubi-vessel a questioning glance.

Naruto laughed at the surprised expression on the hobbit's face.

'' Don't look at me like that, all know you've been wandering off into the forests alone to have conversations with occasional dwarves and elves that happen to pass the borders of the Shire!''

Sakura shook her head at the young man and gave the blond a half-hearted punch on the shoulder.

But Frodo only chuckled.

'' Very funny, Naruto, but I wasn't the one who nearly cut his leg off the day we were cutting firewood at old Mr Maggot's house. You slipped on the icy ground when little Luna accidentally slammed into the back of your knees as she was playing tag with the other little children. And you hit your knee with the ax.'' he answered with a sarcastic laugh. But inwardly he shuddered as he remembered what had happened on the day the ground froze for the first time that year. '' And if the blade had been cleaner, than perhaps you wouldn't have gotten so sick from sepsis.''

'' Ugh, don't remind me of that!'' Sakura groaned, shaking her head at the memory of seeing Naruto's pale, gaunt face on the day she had returned to the Shire.

It had only been three days to Naruto's road to recovery, and thus the normally so healthy young man Sakura had come to know had still looked rather ill when he had opened the door of Bag-End.

'' If that stupid fox hadn't been asleep at the time he would have been able to heal the wound and the poisoning in Naruto's bloodstream. Thank god, Mrs Proudfoot found the herbs that got the infection under control or otherwise my bone-headed boyfriend would have died from that accident.'' Sakura said with a wince.

'' Yeah, Frodo, that incident is something I wish to forget.'' Naruto agreed, shuddering as he remembered how horribly ill he had been for several weeks.

'' So you say, but you accused me of being accident prone when I'm not so I'm being completely honest. Oh, and do you need reminding of that water walking incident during a very hot day in West- Farthing? '' Frodo said, tapping his chin thoughtfully with a smirk tugging at his lips. '' It happened when I got frustrated with us not catching any fish, and so I asked Naruto how long he thought it would take for us to have our first fish. His answer was the whole day so I suggested he'd… ''

'' FRODO!'' Naruto exclaimed, cracking his knuckles as he took several long strides forward.

Frodo could only look ahead with a rather shaky smile on his face. He just knew Naruto was going to go after his hide. '' But you started iiiittt! '' was the only thing he could yelp out as he ran away with Naruto on his heels.

Sakura and Sam shared an exasperated expression before picking up their pace so they wouldn't be left behind.

They heard Naruto's voice retort: '' But you continued it, didn't you?''

'' Oy, will you quit it already!'' Sakura hollered in as she and Sam, who was breathing quite heavily from the sprint, finally caught up with their runaway friends.'' Every minion of Sauron is going to hear your voices if you keep making such a racket in the forest!''

Naruto and Frodo calmed down eventually and for the rest of the evening the group recalled the wonderful times that had happened whilst the two ninjas had lived with the dark haired hobbit in Bag End; peppered with the occasional mini squabbles that erupted between Frodo and the blond ninja.

...

It was getting dark, when the small group finally decided to take a rest not very far from the road. Sam was cooking food over a fire, with the help of Sakura.

Frodo and Naruto were half laying, half sitting on a firm tree branch.

The hobbit was smoking his pipe whilst the Kyuubi-jailer just lay there with his hands behind his back and staring lazily up at the darkening sky.

Naruto was almost half asleep, but perked up when his ears picked up beautiful singing voices sounding somewhere pretty close by.

" Guys, their Wood Elves!" Frodo exclaimed, sitting up and swinging his legs over the branch. A moment later he jumped off the tree with Naruto following at his heels.

The new owner of Bag End led the group to a place behind a fallen, mossy log where they could easily see the fair people walking on the road.

They didn't have to wait long. They soon saw elves dressed in pure white walking down the road carrying lanterns and banners. Some were riding horses. The color of their hair differed between individual, but their height was equal to a human. Some had wavy blond hair, and some were more dark haired. They all had fair skin that was totally unblemished by scars, acne or even freckles.

They were all singing a song that Naruto, Sakura and Sam couldn't understand. Frodo understood some words, but most of it was a mystery to him, too. But the melody was haunting, and very sad.

"They're going to the harbor beyond the White Towers." Frodo said quietly, snapping Naruto and Sakura from their momentary trance.'' To the Grey Havens."

"They're leaving Middle-Earth." Sam explained, seeing the puzzled looks on the two ninjas faces. '' I remember it from some of Bilbo's old tales he used to tell me when I was little.''

"They go to the Grey Havens and are never to return." said Frodo.

"I'm not exactly sure why," Sam said quietly, and with sadness, "but it makes me sad."

Naruto and Sakura said nothing. They were too deep in thought to give any sort of exclamation of their own, but both sought to find the answer within their minds.

...

Later that evening, the five companions were trying to get some sleep.

Sakura was laying comfortably on the ground with her upper body leaning on Naruto's stomach. She was smiling at the feel of her boyfriend 's hand running circles across the skin on her back.

As for Sam, he was quite unaccustomed to sleeping outside in the woods.

"Everywhere I lay, there's a dirty great root sticking into my back." he muttered in exasperation, rolling around to find a reasonably comfortable spot on the ground.

"Well, I'm sure you'll get used to it soon enough, Sam.'' Sakura answered, yawning and snuggling closer to her boyfriend's side.

'' Says the person who has a human pillow! Fiddle Sticks!'' Sam grumbled.

"Sam, just shut your eyes, and imagine you're back in your own bed with a soft mattress and a lovely feather pillow." Frodo said softly from where he was laying on his side. His eyes were closed.

Sam tried to do as hi master had suggested, but found himself unable to fall asleep.

"It's not working, Mr. Frodo," Sam moaned. "I'm never going to be able to sleep out here."

A moment of silence followed his words, but then Frodo unexpectedly agrees with his friend. ''Me neither, Sam."

'' And neither can the rest of us, if you don't pipe down, Sam. But I'm sure that if you can't fall asleep the proper way, I'm sure it would happen if someone here accidentally farted.'' Naruto growled, his voice half serious, half joking.

He couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at Sam's constant babbling.

Frodo buried his face into his cloak, trying to muffle his own voice as he burst out laughing. Even Sam had to grin at Naruto's unintentional attempt at cheering people up.

On the other hand, Sakura was not at all amused by his boyfriend's joke. It certainly hadn't been a funny one in her opinion and she definitely didn't want Naruto to do such a thing literally now that she was laying on top of him.

'' ITAI! '' the blond yelped as Sakura wiggled out of his grasp, sat up and drove her elbow into his stomach.

'' If you fart, Naruto, I'll kill you.'' she said sweetly, resting her folded arms against his chest as she leaned forward to stare at him with a hint of warning noticeable in her green eyes. She smiled again as Naruto lifted his head to plant a soft kiss on her nose.

...

It was early the next morning, when Gandalf passed through the opening hall of Isengard. He rode towards the tower in the center of the valley.

He had used teleportation in rapid succession to get to Isengard faster than what it had taken to bring Sakura to the building of Orthanc. The drawback of the rapid teleporting was that he could do this technique only once in three years, because it took so long for chakra to return to the scroll needed for the technique to work.

An old man with a white beard and dressed in white, approached him from the tower.

''Smoke rises from the mountain of Doom. The hour grows late, and Gandalf the Grey rides to Isengard… seeking my counsel. '' he was quietly telling himself.

Gandalf dismounted his horse to greet his fellow Istari.

''For that," said the old man, smiling widely at Gandalf, " is why you have come, is it not? My old friend."

"Saruman." Gandalf said, and bowed to the wizard Saruman.

A little later…

The two Istari were walking in the gardens of Isengard. Gandalf had told Saruman about the Ring, Frodo, and that the two ninjas who had been living in Middle Earth for the past twenty-four months were accompanying Frodo on the journey to Bree.

"You are sure that the ring Frodo Baggins holds in his keeping is the one Sauron is seeking for?" Saruman asked with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Beyond any doubt." answered Gandalf.

"So the ring of power has been found?"

"All these long years, it was in the Shire, under my very nose."

"And yet, you did not have the wits to see it!" Saruman muttered, scolding his fellow Istari. " Your love of the halflings leaf has clearly slowed your mind."

"But we still have time." answered Gandalf, pushing aside the insult. " Time enough to counter Sauron, if we act quickly."

"Time?"

Gandalf stopped in his tracks when he heard the disbelief in Saruman's voice.

"What time, do you think we have?" the white wizard asked, scowling at Gandalf. He turned to walk towards the tower and Gandalf followed after him.

Inside the tower, Saruman walked up the few stairs to sit on a chair. Next to the chair there was a table full of old books.

"The hour is later than you think." he said to the other wizard. " Sauron has regained most of his former strength. He cannot yet take physical form, but his spirit has lost none of its potency. Concealed within his fortress, the Lord of Mordor sees all. His gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth and flesh."

Gandalf said nothing, but continued to listen to his fellow Istari.

''You know of what I speak of Gandalf. A great eye that is lidless. Wreathed in flame."

"The Eye of Sauron," Gandalf stated, scowling down at the floor.

Saruman continued his speech, wanting Gandalf to see that his plans were hopeless, and he would be far beter off joining forces with Sauron. "He is gathering all evil to him. Very soon, he will have summoned an army great enough to launch an assault upon Middle-Earth."

"You know this?" inquired Gandalf, his expression full of shock and disbelief at what he was being told.'' How?"

"I have seen it." Saruman said mysteriously, looking to the side with an almost sinister look on his face.

He stands up and walks to the throne room that is surrounded by great many doors leading to different rooms and back to the throne room.

Gandalf followed him to the throne room and is shocked when he sees a huge ball in the middle of the room covered in a thin velvet cloth.

"A Palantir is a dangerous tool, Saruman!" he exclaimed, hurrying to the middle of the room with the White Istari trailing behind him.

"Why? Why should we fear to use it?" Saruman asked unconcerned as he uncovered the stone that shone with the same light as a midnight black pearl.

"They are not all accounted for, the lost seeing stones! We do not know who else may be watching!" Gandalf snapped, shocked that his companion would be so foolish as to use the stone. He snatched the cloth from Saruman and covered the Palantir.

But as he did…

**''AACCK!''**

Gandalf felt the evil emitting from the stone as he touched the surface. He had now seen the fiery eye twice through a questionable object. Now well and truly suspicious of Saruman's intentions, he turned to look at the other Istari as he walked towards his throne.

" It's just as I said before, Gandalf, the hour is later than you think," he stated, sitting down on the throne. "Sauron's forces are already moving. The Nine have left Minas Morgul."

"The nine?" Gandalf asked in disbelief, his eyes widening slightly as trepidation filled his heart.

"They crossed the river Isen on Midsummer's Eve, disguised as riders in black."

"They've reached the Shire?"

"They will find the ring," stated Saruman as he grinned. His expression was full of malice when he continued. ''And KILL the one who carries it. "

"Frodo!" Gandalf gasped. He turned and began walking towards the door.

But the other Istari used his magic to close them.

The Grey cloaked wizard turned around to see his so called friend whom had decided to betray his companions and was now grinning at him maliciously.

Cursing, Gandalf turned and tried to walk out another way, but Saruman closed that as well.

Again and again the Grey wizard tried to get out to assist Frodo, Naruto, Sakura and Sam, but the White Wizard closed all the doors one by one.

"You did not seriously think that a Hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron? There are none who can." Saruman spoke calmly.

Gandalf slowly turned to face the traitor, his mouth set tight in a frown.

"Against the power of Mordor, there can be no victory. Especially not with the help of two ninjas, who can only use the most basic of Ninjutsu that acquire their so called chakra."

Saruman then leaned forward to speak to Gandalf. ''We must join with him, Gandalf! We must join with Sauron, for it would be wise, my friend."

"Tell me, friend,'' Gandalf spat between clenched teeth, having heard enough of the traitor's ramblings, '' when did Saruman the wise abandon reason for MADNESS?"

Saruman gave a roar and brought down his staff in a wide arch, which sent Gandalf crashing hard against the opposite wall.

The evil wizard held his fellow Istari against the wall for another few moments before letting him drop to the ground on his stomach.

Gandalf retaliated by striking with his own staff. His sudden attack sent Saruman violently crashing to the ground on his back.

But the white wizard was the stronger of the two. After several minutes of vicious attacks that drew blood, bruised skin and almost shattered bones, Saruman held out his hand and pulled Gandalf's staff to him from a distance.

Gandalf gasped in pain as the power of the two staffs knocked him back several feet and brought him crashing to the hard, stone floor of the room.

"I gave you," growled Saruman, using the staffs to twirl Gandalf around in a circle. The Grey haired wizard moaned in agony,'' the chance of aiding me WILLINGLY! But you have elected the way of PAIN!"

Saruman pointed the staffs up towards the high ceiling, and sent an injured Gandalf soaring up in the air towards the prison the White Wizard had selected to store the fellow Istari.

Gandalf struck the door of the ceiling prison with a loud crash. He uttered a short, sharp cry of agony before he was pulled into the world of unconsciousness.

...

In another place, Naruto, who was standing watch as Frodo, Sakura and Sam were taking a rest under one of the big trees, jumped to his feet on the large branch above his companions. He could feel two powers clashing against each other.

And from what he could feel, the other person's power felt strangely familiar.

'' Gandalf, is that you? What is happening?'' he muttered to himself, frowning up at the clear blue sky above him. Seeing that it was about time for the others to wake up and them all to move further down the cross country road.

Sighing, he jumped off the branch and landed nimbly on the ground amongst his sleeping companions.

'' OY, It's time to wake up!'' he spoke loudly, shaking all three of them by the shoulder. When he got no other answer from them other than a faint mumbling, he took a deep breath and practically shouted: '' WAKE UP, GUYS!''

Sakura, Frodo and Sam all sprang up into a sitting position at the same time. They all looked to be half- asleep with their hair all fuzzed up.

_'' That sure got them all moving_.'' Naruto chuckled to himself in amusement. He quickly dodged a vicious punch from Sakura and jumped up to take hold of the branch above his head. He then bounced up higher into the tree, still laughing hard at his companions reactions to his wake-up call. ''

' RISE AND SHINE! THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM!'' he hollered, and had to dodge a few pans thrown by a cursing pair of hobbits. He then fearlessly jumped into another tree and disappeared in the direction they had been heading to.

'' Or gets hit by a fist and a few pans and then gets a kunai jammed in a place that's not really an entrance. Baka, baka Naruto!'' Sakura moaned in exasperation as she stood up and stumbled towards the small stream near where they had camped. She splashed some water on her face and was soon joined by a grumbling Frodo and Sam.

'' Unless I'm right, his still laughing at us.'' Frodo moaned as he reached for a small drink of water from the stream before dunking his whole head in the water. '' I hate it EVERY time he does that! You won't believe how often he did this in the Shire when he wanted me up early in the morning for the morning jog and the weapon training! ''

'' You weren't the only one to suffer, Frodo. He better watch his back or he will have one of my pans jammed down his throat. '' Sam mumbled as he dunked his hands in the stream and splashed water onto his face.

Some hours later, the hobbits, Naruto and Sakura were crossing a large farm field.

Sam, who had sat down on the ground for a moment to have a small rest, had gotten separated from his companions that had walked ahead and was now frantically searching for them.

And Frodo had found himself in a predicament in which he couldn't find Naruto and Sakura. '' First Sam, then those two!'' he muttered, feeling a bit vexed about the situation. They needed to get to Bree, not walk around in circles in the middle of a cornfield.

'' Mr Frodo! Frodo! FRODO!''

'' Well, there's Sam.'' Frodo noted, turning around and hurrying in the direction from which he had heard Sam's voice calling for him.

Some minutes before…

Sam had been following the noticeable path made by human and hobbit feet through the thick foliage of corn stalks when he found himself on a wide road. He panicked when he couldn't find any signs to which path Frodo had taken. '' Mr Frodo! Frodo! FRODO!'' he shouted as he broke into jog. He stopped when Frodo appeared in front of him from behind more tall corn stalks

'' Oh, I thought I had lost you.'' Sam breathed out, looking immensely relieved to see Frodo standing there in front of him.

'' What are you talking about?'' Frodo asked, adjusting his grip on his walking stick. He looked a little confused at what Sam had said to him.

" It's just," Sam continued, adjusting his backpack," something Gandalf said."

" What did he say?" inquired Frodo.

'' Don't you loose him Samwise Gamgee. And I don't mean to.''

'' Sam, were still in the Shire. What could happen?'' Frodo exclaimed, looking quite amused after hearing his friend's answer.

'' Well, now that you ask,'' Sam said, looking around him to try and find their two other companions. '' Where are Sakura and Naruto?''

Frodo shrugged his shoulders. '' How should I kno…''

Frodo and Sam found themselves knocked off their feet by two hobbits who had suddenly emerged from the thick foliage of corn stalks.

'' Frodo!'' Pippin exclaimed with a wide grin on his face. '' Hey, Merry, it's Frodo Baggins!''

''Hello Frodo!'' greeted Merry as he got off of Sam and brushed the dirt off his clothes.

Sam huffed and stalked over to where Pippin was on the ground partially on top of Frodo. '' Get off of him, Pippin!'' he demanded, pulling the younger hobbit out-of-the-way to help Frodo up. '' Are you alright?'' he then asked, brushing leaves off his master's clothes.

The older hobbit ignored Sam's question.

'' What's the meaning of this?'' he asked Merry. He had gotten quite a fright when the two had suddenly appeared out of the foliage.

'' No time to explain!'' Merry spoke shortly as he picked up the vegetables he and Pippin had stolen and dropped them in Sam's arms. '' Hold these!''

'' You've been in farmer Maggot's crop!'' Sam exclaimed angrily. Pippin and Merry looked suddenly sheepish, but before Frodo could get his words into the conversation, a huge cacophony of noises was heard from the direction Merry and Pippin had come from.

'' What in the…?'' Frodo spoke out loud, but was cut off when a shout was heard above all the rest of the racket.

'' I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS ACT OF STEALING! JUST TAKE YOUR WOMAN AND GET THE HELL OUT OF MY FIELD BEFORE I SPLIT YOUR HAIRS WITH MY SCYTHE!''

Sam and Frodo shared a glance and mouthed: '' Naruto and Sakura!''

'' Uh, Naruto tried to mollify farmer Maggot's anger over us stealing some of his crop.'' Merry said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

'' So they sensed you were around here and wanted to investigate what the two of you were up to?'' Frodo sighed, slapping a hand against his forehead in exasperation.'' Good job, you idiots, if your intentions were to get farmer Maggot to despise us all for trespassing through his property!''

'' Well, umm…'' Merry stuttered, but his words were cut off when Naruto and Sakura crashed through the thick foliage of corn stalks. Naruto was looking rather amused by everything that had happened, whilst Sakura looked absolutely livid.

'' PIPPIN! MERRY! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TWO THINKING?'' she shrieked, grabbing the two by their collars and pulling them forward so that their noses were almost touching her face. '' DO YOU PURPOSELY WANT TO GET IN TROUBLE ALL THE TIME?''

'' Leave the interrogation for later, Sakura- chan.'' Naruto said, putting a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.'' We better scarper now or farmer Maggot's going to split more than just the hairs on our heads with that scythe of his.''

Everyone snapped to attention when the sound of dogs barking drew closer.

Then Farmer Maggot's voice was heard above the noise.

'' GET OUT OF MY FIELD YOU BUNCH OF TROUBLEMAKERS! GET OUT OF MY FIELD BEFORE I USE MY SCYTHE ON YOU!'' the farmer roared.

'' That's our cue!'' Merry yelped, pulling out of Sakura's grasp on his collar and disappeared into the foliage, followed by Pippin and Frodo.

Naruto, Sakura and Sam were left standing there on the spot with Sam still holding the cabbages and carrots handed to him by Merry.

'' Uh, what do we do with these vegetables?'' Sam whispered. He looked very flustered.

'' How about,'' Naruto said, laughing a bit nervously, '' nothing?''

'' I agree!'' Sam stated hurriedly. He threw the vegetables on the ground, turned on his heels and began running in the direction the others had headed to.

Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and soon they, too, had disappeared in the thick foliage of crop.

Some minutes later…

'' Why is that every time you start something, '' Sakura huffed as they jogged through the cornfield, '' the rest of us are pulled into trouble as well?''

'' Miss Sakura, '' Merry breathed out, gasping for breath,'' would you please just… calm down? I just don't understand why he is so upset. It's only a couple of carrots.''

'' And some cabbages.'' added Pippin, turning his head slightly to look backwards at the others running behind him.'' And those three bags of potatoes we lifted last week and then the mushrooms the week before that!''

'' I swear, once we have time, '' Sakura muttered inwardly,'' those two troublemakers are going to get such a thorough spanking that they won't be able to sit for a week!''

'' Yes, Pippin! '' Merry retorted, rolling his eyes. '' My point is, his clearly overreacting! Run!''

And run they did, jumping over roots and big rocks and stumbling (the hobbits) over small rocks hidden in the foliage of crop until Frodo was the first to burst out of the underbrush and found himself teetering on the edge of a steep hill.

The others crashed out of the field and stumbled right into the dark haired hobbit, which sent them all tumbling down the hill fast before crashing to the ground one by one.

The hobbits landed in a heap, almost on top of each other, but Naruto had done a few extra spins and a small jump while rolling to avoid landing on the pile.

Now he lay there, with his back firmly pressed against the forest floor, whilst trying to remember how to breath.

'' Uuuhhh! Owww!'' he wheezed out as Sakura rolled off his stomach.

Having Sakura fall right on top of him hadn't made his impact with the forest floor any less painful. More accurately, it had made it twice as painful.

Sakura looked very apologetic as she leaned forward and kissed her boyfriend on the forehead. She had had to do a few gymnastic moves herself in order to avoid crushing the hobbits under her weight.

'' Thanks for the unexpected mattress, Naruto.'' she said softly. '' Are you alright?''

'' Once I… get… my… breath back.'' Naruto wheezed out as he sat up slowly, clutching a hand to his stomach and grimacing.

'' TRUST A BRANDYBUCK AND A TOOK!'' Sam exclaimed loudly and suddenly, which made both Naruto and Sakura jump and turn around. The chubby hobbit picked himself up, brushing dirt from his clothes and spitting out leaves and dirt that had gotten into his mouth during their tumbling down the hill.

'' What? '' asked Merry. He, too, brushed some dirt off his clothes.'' That was just a detour. A simple short cut.''

'' A short cut to what? '' Sam huffed, shooting daggers at the younger hobbit with his eyes. '' _Simple, my foot!''_ he thought furiously.

'' Mushrooms!'' exclaimed Pippin as he spotted some of the earthy goodness growing in the soil a few feet away from them.

A moment later he again found himself face down on the dirt as Sam rushed over him in frantic pursuit of the beautifully grown mushrooms.

And Merry wasn't that far behind.

Naruto laughed at the scene. And Sakura couldn't help but chuckle slightly, despite her disappointment at the actions of Merry and Pippin towards the usually so polite farmer Maggot.

She knew that the farmer was a very good friend of all Brandybucks, and to have Merry steal food from him put a very bad image on the whole Brandybuck family. Farmer Maggot had also been a very good host to her for that one night she needed a place to stay. When she had hastened to return to the Shire.

The only one not amused or aware of what was happening around him was Frodo. He was standing a little further away from the group. His shoulders were tense as he stared out into the mist surrounding the road they had landed on. He really had a bad feeling about the whole situation.

'' Guys, I think we should get off the road.'' Frodo spoke up, snapping Naruto and Sakura into attention by his words.

Sakura paled slightly as she looked around. She could suddenly sense someone approach them. Someone with evil intentions.

She and Naruto were up on their feet in a flash. The metallic sounds of kunai being pulled out of their holsters caught the attention of the other hobbits.

They stopped admiring and gathering the mushrooms on the ground and their ears pricked up with sudden alertness.

A strong gust of wind passed through the small group.

Naruto turned pale, as a horrifying screech was heard through the wind. And when he listened more closely, he heard the sound of hooves hitting the dirt road.

'' Get off the road! '' Frodo gasped out in a trembling voice that was loud enough to be heard by everyone. '' QUICK!''

Naruto and Sakura wasted no time as they rushed Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam to the other side of the road and hid behind the huge roots of a tree.

Moments later, all six of the travelers could hear the sound of hooves hitting the dirt road above them.

Sakura held her breath, and willed herself to discreetly lower her chakra. She could feel Naruto doing the same thing next to her.

'' _Damn it, damn it, damn damn damn it!_'' Sakura cursed inwardly, as she scanned the enormous amount of power coming from the approaching being with her senses.

She shared a glance with both Naruto and Frodo who looked very spooked. Naruto because he could sense the beings power, and Frodo because of everything he knew about the spies Gandalf had warned them about.

All three of them stiffened, when the rider dismounted its horse. The heavy black, armoured boots hit the ground with a loud ''thump''.

Sakura shivered as the creature knelt on the roots of the tree, sniffing the air around it. She almost cried out when the creature's presence made bugs, insects and worms crawl out of the many holes on the roots and the ground under their feet.

The girl closed her eyes, breathing fast, but not audibly enough to alert the creature of their presence.

But when she felt a hand shake her by the shoulders, her eyes snapped open and she turned to come face to face with Sam who gestured frantically in the direction of Naruto. Her eyes widened.

Naruto was pale and sweat was dripping down his forehead. His hands were twitching, his breathing had quickened and he was keeping his eyes tightly shut.

'' _The rings calling to him? Naruto, please don't loose control, please!_'' Sakura thought frantically, taking hold of Naruto's hand. She grimaced in slight pain, as he squeezed her hand tightly to seek comfort and support as he struggled against the almost overwhelming need to take the ring from Frodo.

And Frodo was in the process of slipping the ring on his finger, but Sam acted on instinct and put a stopping hand on the Baggins's wrist.

Frodo's eyes flew open and he quickly closed his fist over the small golden ring. The rider, who had been sniffing the air, jerked backwards slightly as the feeling that the ring and its holder disappeared from it's senses.

The tension was broken, but they needed to get out of their hiding place quick.

Merry grabbed the bag of mushrooms, much to Pippin's indignation, and bravely threw it up in the direction the rider had come from.

The act was enough to distract the creature which gave the group enough time to evacuate their hiding place.

Shocked and confused, terrified and almost numb, the six friends stumbled into the underbrush of the forest.

Frodo lead the group, and the other hobbits followed closely behind. Sakura trailed behind them, supporting Naruto whom looked to be having a slight panic attack.

When Frodo felt they were far enough from the road, he stopped and took support from a small tree. Pippin fell on the forest floor, completely out of breath and shivering from their earlier encounter with the Black Rider.

Sam leaned against a tree. His knees felt shaky and wobbly.

Sakura fell to her knees; she was gasping for breath and still holding onto Naruto's hand. And Naruto actually vomited into the bushes before flopping down on his back.

Merry seemed to be the least shaken of the group, but even his voice was shaky when he asked: '' What… what was that thing?''

'' Trouble, Merry. Loads of trouble.'' Frodo whispered back. '' We have to move very discreetly now, and we MUST stay off the road!''

'' What kind of trouble?'' Merry asked quietly. '' From the way you, Sam, Sakura and Naruto are acting, it's something very important and dangerous. I may be a very patient hobbit, but I do not like it when something is kept from me. Especially now that you've dragged Pippin and I into trouble as well. ''

Frodo glanced in the direction of Naruto, Sakura, Sam and Pippin, noting that the blond haired ninja seemed to be recovering well from his panic attack. But he still looked pretty shaken about what had occurred with the Black Rider.

Frodo shivered. He had been almost completely taken by the ring's luring, and Naruto had been fighting with his instincts that had been telling him to take the ring.

Shuddering, he turned to face Merry and said: '' We can't talk about this now. We have to move soon and quickly!''

Without speaking, Merry turned his eyes away from Frodo, but Naruto and Sakura noticed the disappointment in the hobbit's eyes.

'' I don't think Merry will back away from trying to get us to talk sooner than we have planned.'' Naruto whispered in his girlfriend's ear.

Sakura nodded, a frown coming to her lips as she noticed the stiffness on the hobbit's back and the way he was clenching his fists.

'' Your right, he won't just back down!'' she answered.

Hours later…

Darkness had fallen over the forest, but the moonlight was giving enough light for the six travelers to see where they were going as they continued running, jogging and walking through the underbrush. They avoided going into an open area, not wanting to get caught by the Black Rider that was after them.

The hobbits had become so jumpy that even the smallest of odd noises made all four of them dive into a bush to hide. Naruto and Sakura were becoming just as paranoid.

More than once the group had found themselves in a situation where Sakura and Naruto were throwing kunais in random places whenever the smallest of sounds had reached their ears.

When they finally stopped for a rest, Frodo leaned against a tree. He had sweat dripping down his face; he was so filled with hunger. He was scared and exhausted. And frustrated by every setback they had had on this journey so far.

He turned to look at Merry, whom was crouched on his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

'' Do you see anything?'' Merry asked a moment later, snapping Frodo out of his trance.

'' Nothing!'' Frodo answered, sighing in relief as he stared out into the darkness.

'' What is going on?'' Pippin whined from his resting spot on the soft tufts of moss on the forest floor. He was rubbing his aching feet.

'' It's a very, very long story to tell, Pippin. '' Sakura answered, putting a hand on the hobbit's shoulder. '' And we can't tell it here where there is no sufficient shelter. All we ask of you and Merry is to be patient.''

'' SHOVE IT WITH BEING PATIENT!'' Merry exclaimed loudly, punching the tree- trunk Frodo was leaning against.

Everyone turned to look at their friend with various expressions of shock on their faces.

'' Whatever the reason you have come so far from Wesfarthing is now of mine and Pippin's concern as well!'' Merry hissed icily, but he was no longer shouting. '' I've waited too long to hear SOME sort of explanation from you and yet you refuse to give it!''

He turned to Frodo, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him so close his nose was almost touching Frodo's.

'' Gandalf gave us an important mission, and that's all I can say out here!'' Frodo snapped, grabbing Merry by the wrist and squeezing it hard.

Merry winced from the pressure on his wrist. He was surprised at the strength Frodo was showing, but he refused to let go of the older hobbit's collar. His eyes narrowed even more, as he said: '' And what kind of mission would that be, Frodo? All six of us are in danger, and yet the four of you know what actually is going on and Pippin and I are completely clueless to the whole mission! I thought friends are supposed to tell each other everything?''

Naruto stood up from his resting place and was going to walk over to the two arguing hobbits, when the dark haired hobbit forced Merry's hand off his collar and shoved the younger hobbit further away.

'' I DON'T like this anymore than you do, Merry! I don't like staying quiet about what's happened, but TRY to understand that this forest is no place to sit down and talk when we have those riders on our tails!'' Frodo hissed, glaring at the Brandybuck who was looking at him defiantly. '' When and if we get to the Crickhollow Cottage in Buckland, we'll be sure to tell you everything!''

'' That Black Rider was apparently looking for something, or someone!'' Merry said, his eyes flashing with anger. '' Is there something you are carrying with you that they are seeking?''

Frodo closed his mouth and turned away, answering nothing.

'' FRODO! '' Merry exclaimed in frustration, putting a hand on the dark haired hobbit's shoulder.

'' GET DOWN!''

The sudden warning from Pippin made all six travelers crouch down behind a thick bush.

Naruto swallowed as he sensed the evil being approaching. Next to him, Sakura was gripping her kunai tightly in her hand as she stared out into the small hill some distance away from the group. The rider soon appeared on the small hill. It's dark, shadowy appearance could be seen clearly in the brightness of the moon.

'' The cottage of Crickhollow, was it?'' Merry suddenly whispered from next to Frodo. Frodo turned to look at him and nodded was quite for a moment before saying:

'' Then the Buckleburry Ferry, is where we need to go to. I need to know what sort of mission you have on you're hands and the sooner we reach our destination, I'll get to hear everything. FOLLOW ME!''

The group jumped to their feet and followed Merry who had taken lead.

But just as they leaped out of the underbrush, they found themselves exposed as they entered a small clearing.

Two Black Riders immediately appeared out of the trees behind them. Their horses had seen the prey.

'' WHAT?'' Naruto shouted as he grabbed Sam into his arms for a moment before shoving him into another direction. The poor hobbit had almost been trampled by the horse's hooves. '' THERE ARE MORE (OF) THEM?''

" EVERYBODY RUN!" Pippin yelled, changing directions to avoid the horse who was turning which ever way they were going to intercept their escape.

'' The horse can sense where we are! It works as the rider's eyes! I should have realized that before when the rider tried sniffing us out of our hiding place!'' Sakura cried out, using her kunai to parry the sword that was swung viciously toward her. '' We have to get to that ferry! Where is it, Merry?''

"THIS WAY!" cried Merry, "FOLLOW ME! RUN!"

The group scattered, the hobbits darting under the front legs of one of the horses and coming out from under its hind legs.

Sakura and Naruto guided chakra into their legs and used the extra power to jump up and over the rider's head to land softly on the moss covered ground.

They were about to follow Merry, Pippin and Sam, when Frodo's startled shout faltered their steps.

'' FRODO!'' Naruto exclaimed, seeing the rider blocking the hobbit's path with it's horse.

The hobbit could only hop around the steed's hooves to avoid being captured, but had nowhere to escape to.

'' Sakura, go to the others! I'll go help Frodo!''

'' But we are a team! Can't we just work together?'' Sakura exclaimed, grabbing a tight hold of Naruto's arm.

'' Please, just go, Sakura! Make sure the others get to the ferry safely!'' Naruto told her firmly as he pulled away from Sakura's grasp. '' We can argue about teamwork later, okay?''

'' Just be careful, baka!'' Sakura answered with a worried look in her eyes. '' If you get hurt you only have yourself to blame for acting heroic and forgetting about the benefits of working as a team! AND BRING FRODO SAFELY TO THE FERRY OR I SWEAR I'M GOING TO POUND YOU!''

Naruto gave a nervous laugh and hurried off to where a terrified Frodo hopping and dodging under the horse to avoid getting caught by the riders who were trying to grab him by the neck or trying to nick him with their blades.

Sakura refused to turn around and see what was happening in the direction Naruto had headed to as she ran after Merry, Pippin and Sam. The three had already jumped the fence and where waiting for them on the dock.

'' Get on the ferry!'' Sakura shouted, almost flying over the fence in her haste. '' Untie the rope!''

Merry quickly jumped onto the ferry and grabbed the long paddle. Sam and Pippin stayed on the dock and tried to untie the rope from the dock as quickly as possible.

When Sakura reached the dock she noticed that the rope was only half untied.

Grabbing a kunai from her holster, Sakura slashed the rope open and grabbed Sam and Pippin by their collars.

Ignoring their yelps of outrage, Sakura deposited them on the ferry. She then crouched down and gave the ferry a strong push to get it drifting from the dock.

'' WHAT ARE YOU DOING?'' Sam shouted at the kunoichi as she jumped on the ferry, took the paddle from Merry and began pushing the ferry further away towards the middle of the lake. '' MR FRODO AND NARUTO ARE STILL OUT THERE WITH THE BLACK RIDERS!''

'' I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, SAM!'' Sakura snapped with a hint of worry in her voice, and turned to see what was going on behind the fence she and the hobbits had jumped.

Her heart nearly jumped into her throat when she saw a third rider suddenly appearing from the darkness behind Naruto, whmo was parrying blows with two of the riders.

He was backing towards the fence leading to the docks and shielding Frodo as he did so.

'' NARUTO, BEHIND YOU!'' Sakura screamed out as loudly as she could. She watched as her boyfriend quickly spun around to intercept the course of the swinging sword belonging to the approaching Black Rider.

A loud ' CLANG' echoed through the woods as steel clashed against steel.

Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief as Naruto broke away and booted the sword out of the rider's hand. She watched as the spinning blade flew through the air and stopped as it sunk deep into a tree-trunk.

But her relief turned out to be short lived.

The two other riders Naruto had been fighting against chose the moment to strike.

'' NARUTO, WATCH OUT!'' Merry yelled, which caught the Kyuubi ninja's attention just as the two long swords were swung toward his back.

Acting on instinct, Naruto sidestepped to the left to avoid one of the blades, scooped Frodo up against his chest with one arm and quickly did the seals for the substitution technique.

He and Frodo disappeared in a burst of smoke, and a couple of logs were left in their place.

And before the riders had realized what had just happened, Naruto and Frodo were already on the other side of the fence.

Frodo turned his head to look up at his friend and noticed the look of concentration on his face. The Baggins clenched his hands into a fist and closed his eyes, readying himself for the chakra enhanced jump that would happen very soon.

Frodo 's breath caught in his throat and his stomach made flip- flops as he felt himself going airborne. His eyes may have been closed but he felt the jarring impact of Naruto's feet hitting the wooden floor of the ferry.

His eyes flew open as it happened, which made him wish he hadn't as Naruto lost his footing and stumbled towards the edge.

The hobbit breathed out a sigh of relief as Sakura grabbed the blond male around the waist and pushed him into a sitting position on the ferry.

All six of the travelers watched with baited breath as the three riders jumped the fence on their steeds, but pulled on the reins to stop their horses just before they reached the water's edge.

''_ Are those creatures afraid of water_? '' Sakura wondered; the hand which she had held over her racing heart dropped to the side as an immense wave of relief swept over her entire being.

Naruto squeezed her shoulder as he watched the riders urging their horses to turn around and gallop up the hill towards the woods. He was relieved over his companies escape, but he was sure the riders weren't just going to give up their chase so easily.

"H- how far to the nearest crossing?" Frodo gasped. His hand was held over his heart, which was still beating like mad against his ribcage.

"The Brandywine Bridge," Merry answered grimly, '' is twenty miles away."

Sam moaned and flopped down on his butt. '' I just hope I don't fall asleep and slip into the water. I'd sink like a ro… Naruto, you're bleeding!''

Sam's startled exclamation brought everyone's attention to the blond shinobi whom was sitting with his shoulders slumped next to his pink haired girlfriend.

Sakura let out a curse as she quickly started opening the buttons on her boyfriend's orange, long sleeved shirt. Then, with the help of Frodo, managed to pull the shirt over Naruto's head.

Pippin, Merry and Sam winced as Naruto let out a small cry as the not so soft material of the shirt scraped over the open wound. The slash wound was deep, but the cut was a clean slice that went from the left shoulder to the middle of his back.

'' When did this happen?'' Pippin gasped from his sitting spot on the ferry.

'' I- I should have do- dodged a little over to the side of the road… when using the… substitution technique. '' Naruto answered between gasps of pain, as Sakura and Frodo put pressure on the injury to stop the bleeding.

'' I told you that you should have let me help you rescue Frodo, but no! You just had to be the only hero around here you baka!'' Sakura scolded the blond male. She didn't notice that a few tears escaped her eyes and landed on Naruto's exposed skin, but the said male flinched slightly when the wet tears splattered on top of him.

'' Sometimes I worry that you're going to get yourself killed here.'' Sakura continued, leaning forward to whisper the words in Naruto's ear.'' Don't forget that our situation is a lot more dangerous when we are unable to use our strongest j…''

Sakura's words were halted, when an eery scream was heard from the shoreline.

She, Naruto and the hobbits watched in silence as they saw three of the riders riding in the direction of Buckland.

'' At least those creatures refuse to come into the water. Were safe for now, Sakura!'' Naruto mumbled, and then winced as Sakura spread the antiseptic over the wound.

...

The ferry boat moved slowly across the water. Frodo felt very relieved when the Buckland shore drew nearer. He turned to glance at Naruto who was sleeping as comfortably as he could whilst using Sakura's lap as a pillow.

Sakura was awake. She was staring in the same direction Frodo had been looking a moment before.

'' How is he?'' Frodo asked quietly, being careful not to wake his friend.

Sam, Pippin and Merry suddenly looked more alert as they waited to hear Sakura's answer.

Sakura lowered one of her hands on Naruto's forehead, and slipped the other under the warm blanket she had spread over the blond's shoulders to feel the skin surrounding the bandaged wound.

'' He doesn't have a fever, and his wound hasn't gotten infected. Let's hope it stays that way.'' Sakura sighed, stroking the bangs that had flopped over her boyfriend's eyes. '' Who knows what may have been smeared on the blades of those… creatures.''

Sam turned away to look at the woods they were slowly passing by. He felt uneasy, and it wasn't just because it was his first time crossing the river. He remembered the talk he had with Naruto the day they had left Bag End.

Back then he had said that he would watch the Kyuubi-vessel closely, and that time would discern wether he could trust the ninja. Now he felt like he could trust him again. After all, he had saved Frodo from those Black Riders.

Later, when the ferry finally hit the dock of Buckland, Sakura was the first one to step out onto dry land with Naruto held bridal style in her arms.

Despite the serious situation, Merry and Pippin couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the funny sight of Naruto being carried in such a style by his girlfriend. Sakura just shoot the two of them a glare which made them pipe down.

Just as Merry started leading them towards the path that would lead them passed Buck Hill and the Brandy Hall, they were halted by Sam's startled exclamation.

Sakura spun around to stare out into the darkness. She was just about able to make out a figure that looked like a black bundle. She tried to move closer, but as she took a step closer, the strange creature started to half crawl, half sway back into the gloom beyond the lamps.

'' What in the Shire is that?'' exclaimed Merry.

'' Probably a spy. Don't forget about Gandalf's warning, Frodo.'' Sakura whispered, shooting a meaningful glance at the dark haired hobbit standing behind her.

'' You're probably right, Sakura. Let's just hurry out of here.'' Frodo answered with a grim look in his eyes.

They all hurried up the path to the top of the bank with Merry leading the way. The hobbit that had been born in Buckland soon found the path leading towards the outskirts of Buckleburry.

After jogging, and running about a half a mile northward down the main road, they came to a lane opening on their right. They followed the lane for a couple of miles as it climbed up and down into the country.

When they finally reached their destination, all they could see was a shadowy image of the house Frodo had rented three weeks ago. He, along with Naruto and Sakura, had in mind to stay over at Crickhollow for some months as a change of scenery.

It had been built by the Brandybucks years before to be used by guests, or members of the family that wished to escape from the crowded life of Brandyhall.

As they walked up the green path from the gate Sakura couldn't help but smile as she remembered just how pretty the house had looked like in the sunlight with its countrified, old- fashioned image.

Frodo hadn't rented the house until he had gotten the opinion from both her and Naruto, so they had traveled all the way to Buckland to see it.

Even though the windows were currently shuttered and dark, Sakura sensed that someone was inside the house.

Frodo knocked on the door and was answered by Fatty Bolger opening it for them.

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle at the look of immense surprise on the hobbit's face.

'' Wha… what are you doing here? You weren't supposed to move here for another month.'' Fatty Bolger exclaimed.

'' Ah, some unexpected things came up, but we can't stay here for long. We will be leaving early in the morning tomorrow.'' Frodo answered, rubbing the back of his head. '' The reason for our plans our own.'

He gave Fatty Bolger a sheepish grin.

'' I… see.'' Fatty murmured. He then noticed the sleeping figure of Naruto being held in the arms of the man's slender girlfriend. '' Good lord, what's happened to Naruto?''

'' He was injured on the docks of the West bank.'' Sakura answered shortly.'' Is there a bed here?''

'' Yes!'' Fatty exclaimed, as he proceeded to guide Sakura through the hall towards one of the bedrooms. He wanted to ask why and how Naruto had been injured but he had a feeling that he would not be getting a straight answer from anyone; so he refrained from asking anymore guestions.

Some time later…

Naruto groaned quietly as he forced open his heavy eyelids and looked up at the ceiling. '' Where… where are we now? '' He wondered to himself. He tried to sit up but was forced down on the bed by someone.

'' Don't move too much yet, Naruto!'' Sakura's voice was heard from his left. '' I tried to heal your wound, but the healing happened slowly and in the end the wound refused to close completely.'

Naruto slowly turned his head to see his girlfriend staring down at him with a worried look in her beautiful green eyes.

'' Sakura…'' he sighed, as Sakura leaned forward to kiss him gently on the lips. '' Where… where are we?''

'' Were in Crickhollow. I carried you all the way here. '' Sakura answered, tracing a hand through the blond bangs of hair on Naruto's forehead.

'' You carried me all the way to Crickhollow? Man, Sakura, I'm not the lightest of baggage.'' Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura burst into sniggers.

'' Well you could say that, but you can make that up to me sometime.'' she answered.

Naruto chuckled and turned to look around the small bedroom again. He noticed that the windows and the door were built round. It was just like in Bag End, and in every house in the Shire. The walls were painted a neutral colour and there were several candles lit around the tables to bring light into the room.

'' Where are Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam? '' Naruto asked, realizing he had no idea where the hobbits were residing at the moment.

'' Waiting anxiously for the baths to be ready. '' Sakura answered, giggling at something. '' Fatty Bolger and Merry are getting them done at the momen…''

'' A BATH!'' Pippin's voice was suddenly heard from another room.'' O blessed Fatty Bolger!''

'' Which order shall we go in?'' Frodo's voice asked.'' Eldest first, or quickest first? You'll be last either way, master Peregrin!''

'' Trust me to arrange things better than that!'' Fatty Bolger's indignant exclamation could be heard through the walls.'' You can't start your evening in Crickhollow with a quarrel over baths. In that room there are four small tubs and two big ones, and a copper full of boiling water. There are also towels, mats and soap. Get inside and be quick so I can have the baths ready for Sakura and Naruto. Their sure to be bathing together.''

Naruto and Sakura shared a glance and blushed right up to the roots of their hair, but neither of them could hold in their amusement when they heard snatches of competing songs coming out of the bathroom mixed with splashing and wallowing.

'' Well, I guess we will just have to wait.'' Sakura murmured. She kicked off her sandals and climbed into the bed, much to Naruto's enjoyment.

He sighed with pleasure as Sakura ran her hand down the side of his face, then kissed him deeply on the lips.

Sakura giggled, when she felt Naruto's arms snake around her waist. He pulled her closer, until she found herself comfortably cuddled next to her boyfriend. Her heart was beating wildly, and shivers were running down her back as the blonde proceeded to trail gentle kisses over the skin on her neck. His hands were gently touching her breasts.

Just as they were going breathless, Pippin's voice was suddenly lifted above the others in the bathroom.

_Sing hey! For the bath at close of day_

_That washed the weary mud away!_

_A loom is he that will not sing:_

_O! Water Hot is a noble thing!_

_O! Sweet is the sound of falling rain_

_And the brook that leaps from hill to plain;_

_Is Water Hot that smokes and steams._

_O! Water cold we may pour at need_

_Down a thirsty throat and be glad indeed;_

_But better is Beer, if drink we lack,_

_And Water Hot poured down our back_

_O! Water is fair that leaps on high_

_In a fountain white beneath the sky;_

_But never did fountain sound so sweet_

_As splashing Hot Water with my feet!_

There was a terrific splash, and a shout of:'' WHOA!'', from Frodo, Merry, and Sam.

'' Looks like Pippin took '' O! Water is fair that leaps on high, too literally. '' Sakura muttered, slightly annoyed at the interruption.

Naruto just burst out laughing.

'' I better go see how large of a mess Pippin's made in the bathroom.'' the kunoichi grumbled with a peeved expression on her face as Naruto finally calmed down. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and put on her long sleeved, skin tight shirt that had somehow gotten discarded on a chair near the bed when they had started making out.

Naruto lay relaxed on the bed, fairly content to just enjoying watching her swaying hips and smooth, muscled thighs and legs as she walked out the door.

A short while later…

'' PIPPIN, THE STONE FLOOR IS SWIMMING! GET YOUR BUTT HERE AND START MOPPING UP THIS MESS RIGHT NOW!'' Sakura shrieked with a voice that could be heard all through the small hobbit hole.

...

The next morning, Frodo woke up suddenly by a banging on the door. Squinting, he turned his tired eyes towards the doorway and noticed Merry standing just inside his bedroom near the door with a candle in one hand and banging on the door with the other

'' All right, all right! What is it?'' Frodo mumbled, yawning hugely.

'' What is it? '' Merry exclaimed, slapping a hand to his forehead. '' It's time to get up? It is half past four and very foggy. Sam is already getting breakfast ready. Even Pippin's already up!''

'' Where are Naruto and Sakura?'' Frodo groaned out, rubbing the lingering sleepiness out of his eyes.

'' They've gone to get the ponies Fatty Bolger managed to rent us for the journey. ''Merry answered, turning to walk out of the door.'' Now get your lazy butt up and moving!''

Frodo sighed morbidly and crawled out of his bed-covers.

It was going to become an interesting journey today, for the group would have to enter the Old Forest the villagers said was haunted and dangerous.

It had been his decision to take this road. His responsibility. And if anything bad were to happen to his friends, the blame would fall on him.

He certainly wasn't happy about being the leader of this dangerous expedition; or the cause of it.

**End of Chapter 5**


	6. Chapter 6 The Old Forest

**Chapter 6 The Old Forest**  
**Chapter summary: Naruto, Sakura, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin have entered the woods of the Old Forest. What kind of strange things will they find there and what perils will they stumble upon?**  
**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien!**  
**P.S. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know I've done an awesome job of making people wait too long for an update and for that I apologies. **  
**P.S. If this chapter sucks an orcs butt feel free to tell me about it, but please, please use constructive criticism. **  
…...

'' Now isn't this just wonderful?'' Naruto muttered sarcastically to himself as he plodded along beside his black furred pony, whom he had named Crescent, in the back of the small group that included the four hobbits, Sakura and himself. '' I can't believe were lost! '' he continued and kicked some small pebbles to the side of the road.

The small group of travelers had long ceased to go northward which was where they had wanted to end up since they had headed off that early morning. But what neither of them realized, was that they were slowly but surely heading straight towards the heart of the Old Forest.

'' Why the heck didn't we think of taking a map with us, Sakura?'' he muttered to his pink haired girlfriend whom was walking just ahead of him.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the blond and grasped the reins of her steed a bit tighter. The pony that followed at her side had beautiful white fur. She had given her the name Yuki because of the color. The hobbits had quickly asked the woman what the name meant in her language and were offered a simple answer; the name she had given her pony meant snow.

'' Because we had faith in Merry's sense of direction. But now its clear that we should have taken a map with us.''she answered.

'' No use in dwelling on something that can't be changed.'' Pippin spoke up despondently. He had happened to overhear the two ninjas conversation.

'' Guess not!'' Naruto sighed gruffly.

The afternoon was wearing away when the group came upon a fold that was wider and deeper than any they had yet seen. They tried to find a place where they could climb out of the fold, but it didn't take long for them to realize that it was impossible due to the sheer steepness and overhanging of the fold.

'' Well, if we can't go upwards with the ponies and the luggage,'' Sakura commented, urging her pony forwards,'' then we better follow the fold downwards and hope that we will find something that will point us to the right direction!''

She gave a meaningful glance at Merry whom nodded at the young woman. The hobbit urged his pony forward, having taken his place as the leader of the group.

After traveling forwards another few hours, the six friends discovered that Sakura had been right.  
Merry had noticed something in the environment that was familiar to him and by his lead the six travelers had followed the course of a babbling brook.  
They had stumbled into a clearing where sunlight was shining brightly into and when they had turned to look back, they had noticed that they had made their way through a cleft in a high steep bank that was almost a cliff.

In the midst of the clearing there lay a river with dark water wandering lazily brook was bordered with large, ancient willow-trees. Some had fallen over and their leaves were fading and scattered around the ground. The small group looked up as a hard, but warm breeze started blowing. The old willows creaked and their leaves gave off a fluttering noise like thousands of butterfly wings.  
A small smile appeared on Merry's face as he watched the leaves dancing over all their heads.'' I now have a notion of where we have ended up,'' he said,'' and its almost opposite of the direction we had wanted to go to.''

'' If you know of this place,'' Sakura said,'' then what's the name of that brook?''

'' The River Withywindle! I shall head off to explore more of this place. Wait here!''

The others nodded and watched as the brown haired hobbit walked off into the sunshine and disappeared into the long grass up sat down on big rocks to wait for Merry's return.  
Frodo had even deposited his traveling-pack on the ground and was stretching his back with a groan as his sore back gave a slight cracking noise.  
The ponies were allowed to wander around the brook and they took the time to munch on the tasty green grass that covered the ground.

When Merry returned after a while, he had some news to tell.'' Well,'' he said,'' there is fairly solid ground between the cliff-foot and the river. If we turn left and follow the footpath that winds along the side of the river, we are bound to come out on the east side of the Forest eventually.''

Pippin looked skeptical. '' What if the path doesn't go as far as you say it will? What if it leads us into a bog? I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to be suspicious of this forest. And I'm starting to believe the bad stories about the forest I used hear as a child!''

'' How far eastwards do we have to go to reach the end of the forest?'' Naruto spoke up from where he was sitting on one of the big rocks.

Merry shrugged his shoulders.'' I haven't the faintest clue as to how far the end of the forest is, but we have to find a way out just the same.''

He walked over to his pony and mounted him.

Naruto gave a glance at Sakura whom just shrugged helplessly and walked off to fetch her steed.  
The blond ninja sighed, and rolled his eyes at the sky and the sun looming over them.'' I hate being lost in this forest.'' he muttered under his breath.'' And those trees seem to be staring at us which makes me very uneasy.''

The air had grown very hot. The hobbits were panting as they trudged on beside their exhausted ponies and even Naruto and Sakura were feeling sweat running down their backs. An army of flies were buzzing round their ears and the sun continued to burn on their backs.  
Everyone sighed in relief when they suddenly came to a place where great big willow-branches reached across the path.  
The group felt their every step grow more reluctant than the last and sleepiness threatened to close their eyes.

'' Uhh… it's no use.'' Merry muttered from where he was walking beside Frodo.'' I can't go another step without rest. Its cool under those willows and there are less flies. Let's stop and take a nap.''

Frodo halted, but his face was shadowed with worry.''We can't have a nap here! We have to clear off the forest first.''

But his words weren't heeded.

Even the two ninjas, though suspicious of the forest, saw no danger in stopping for little rest. They sat down under a willow-tree and were resting their backs on the trunk with Sakura leaning her head against Naruto's shoulder.

'' Guys, we really… shouldn't…,'' Frodo muttered. His voice grew quieter as sleep started to truly overwhelm him. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like a song was being sung in his ear by the boughs above. The hobbit lifted his heavy eyes and saw a huge willow-tree leaning over him.  
It's sprawling branches were swaying up and down like reaching arms with many long fingered hands. The willows' trunk looked like a gaping mouth and it's leaves fluttered as the breeze touched them.

'' We… shouldn't… stay… here.'' Frodo whispered, toppling over on his feet. And there he lay; right where he had fallen on the soft grass.

Meanwhile Merry and Pippin had dragged themselves forward and lay down with their backs to the same willow-tree that Naruto and Sakura were leaning against. Behind the two hobbits the great cracks gaped wide open like an open mouth and the tree swayed and creaked in a very peculiar way.

Then Sakura unexpectedly opened her green eyes.'' Unh… what am I doing? I shouldn't be sleeping.'' she muttered tiredly. Groaning, the kunoichi struggled to her feet and slowly walked over to where Frodo was still fighting with the sleep that tried to consume him completely. She shook the hobbit by the shoulders and got him to sit up.

'' Frodo, what in the world is going on?'' Sakura asked, blinking her tired eyes. '' I shouldn't be feeling this sleepy yet.''

'' I don't know, but I feel the need for water.'' Frodo muttered, feeling the thirst gnawing at his throat. '' Wait here with Sam, Sakura!''

'' Oh, no way I'm letting you go off by yourself. I'm going to make sure that you don't drown, Frodo!'' Sakura said, shaking her head.'' Sam, stay here with the others, okay?''

Sam nodded and watched the two disappear into the trees. He than yawned hugely and sat down on the soft grass, but didn't stay in the position for long before pulling himself to his feet again. He could sense that everything wasn't at all right about this again. Shaking his head to get rid of the tiredness, the blond hobbit went off to see what had become of the ponies. He found two of the ponies wandering a good way along the path. He hurried to catch up with them and was muttering a few oaths under his breath as he brought them back towards the others.  
But as the gardener was tying the horses to a sturdy bush, he was given quite a scare when he heard the distinctive sound of someone falling into water. '

' What in the name of the Shire?'' Sam exclaimed as he rushed towards the bank. He halted in his steps for a moment when heard a click that sounded like a door closing. For a short while he thought of turning back in the direction he had come from, but after a moment of contemplation he decided to head towards the place where he had heard the splash.

What the gardener found was shocking. Frodo was in the water close to the edge with a tree- root holding him down and was no longer struggling to get out of the water. '' No, this is just too much!'' Sam exclaimed. When he heard a muffled sound, the hobbit whipped his head to the side and saw Sakura's feet sticking out of a closed hole. He also heard her muffled curses as she tried to get out.  
Sam gave a startled oath and rushed down into the water to help his master, and friend, whom was in dire need of help. He gripped Frodo's jacket and with a low grunt, dragged the slightly shorter hobbit out from under the root and then hauled him quickly to the bank.

It was a great relief to the gardener when Frodo started spluttering and coughing water as soon as his head was out of the water.

'' Do you know… cough… Sam; the beastly tree threw me in! I felt it! The big root just twisted round and tipped me in!'' Frodo gasped out as soon as he had gotten his breath back.

'' I believe you, completely, Mr Frodo!'' Sam said with a worried frown.'' Look over there!''He pointed a shaking hand at the willow-tree tree where Sakura's legs were hanging out of a closed hole in the tree- trunk.

Frodo uttered a shocked cry and hurried over to the tree that had closed the young woman into a trap.

'' Grrhhh… let me out you stupid old tree!'' Sakura's muffled voice was heard saying.'' Let me OUT YOU HEAR!''

'' Sakura, what happened?'' Frodo cried out to the young kunoichi.

'' I was just resting my back against this tree, when I suddenly felt myself falling backwards into the base of the tree-trunk!'' Sakura shrieked back, pounding the tree with her fist.

Frodo suddenly gasped out loud as a horrible thought came to his mind. He told Sam to stay with the young woman and ran to where he had last seen Merry, Pippin and Naruto. What he found was expected, but it didn't make it any less terrible. The cracks in the tree- trunks that had once been open, were now closed upon Merry, Pippin and Naruto.  
Frodo beat the tree on the side where Pippin was trapped in with his fists, but soon found that it was no use. He tried to pull the jaws of the crack holding poor Merry, but it proved absolutely useless..'

' What a foul thing to happen!'' Frodo exclaimed wildly.'' Why did we ever come into this dreadful forest?''

In anger, he kicked the tree with all of his strength, heedless of the pain that would strike his foot.

Meanwhile Naruto, whom had been awakened from his sleep by the commotion, gasped inwardly when he sensed a barely noticeable shiver run through the stem of the willow and up into the branches. The leaves seemed to rustle and whisper in laughter.'' Arrhhh… damn these roots!'' Naruto mumbled inwardly, trying to wrench his hands out from below the sturdy roots holding his hands jailed to the ground. He didn't like this situation at all.

'' I don't know how I'm going to get you all out of this tree.'' Frodo said worriedly, digging his hands into his traveling pack. He pulled out a small ax that had been used to chop firewood.'' But I'll try to hack a big enough hole in the tree-trunk.''

CCCRRRAAASSSHHH

Frodo jumped almost a foot into the air as a loud cracking noise sounded from the direction of the riverbank.'' What in the…?'' he gasped out with widened blue eyes. He looked astonished when Sakura jogged over with a very dumbfounded looking Sam following at her heels.

'' Sakura… how… in the name of Arda did you get yourself out of that trap?'' Frodo exclaimed.

'' I punched a hole through the tree-trunk.'' Sakura grunted, glaring at the huge willow holding their friends and her boyfriend inside.

Frodo glanced at Sam whom nodded at the dark haired hobbit. The stunned expression was still plastered onto the gardener's face.

'' Stand back Frodo, Sam!'' Sakura commanded suddenly as she walked towards the willow. She cranked back her slightly trembling fist in order to strike the tree the others inside. But the moment she pulled back her fist, a tremor ran through the whole tree and the leaves above seemed to hiss at the kunoichi with anger.

Sakura jumped when Naruto gasped out in pain and Merry uttered a panicked scream. Pippin soon echoed both their voices with a frightened whimper. The whimper was followed by Naruto's bitter cursing and shuffling noises.  
Sakura guessed that her boyfriend was trying to pull his hands from under the roots.

'' STOP! D-DON'T DO ANYTHING!'' Merry yowled.'' He will squeeze me in two if you try freeing me! He says so!''

'' Who? What?'' Frodo shouted, rushing to the other side of the tree.  
'

' The tree! The tree says so!'' Merry cried, as the branches of the willow began to sway violently.

Sakura gasped as she looked up and saw the other trees following the same movement as the one holding their companions prisoner. The young kunoichi backed away and lowered her fist before looking at the tree in despair. What was there to do if Merry wouldn't allow her to punch a hole on the tree-trunk?

Sam was looking angry and frustrated at the situation as he stood by Frodo whom was turning his head from side to side like a panicked rabbit. Then without warning, or any clear idea as to why he did it, the dark haired hobbit took off running along the path whilst shouting.'' Help! Help! Help!''

Sakura's eye twitched in irritation at the sound if Frodo's panicked shouts.'' Frodo, stop yelling or you will bring the spies of Sauron upon us! What you're doing right now won't help a damn thi…!''Her voice trailed off as she heard a deep, glad voice singing carelessly and happily in the distance; but it was coming their way.

_Hey dol! Merry dol! Ring a dong dillo!Ring a dong! Hop along! Fal lal the willow!Tom Bombadillo!_

Sakura raised her eyebrows as she listened to the string of nonsense words. '' Who is that singer?'' she muttered. '' He sure has a good grasp on how to sing absolute nonsense.''

'' Wha… who is the person that's singing?'' Naruto's confused voice was heard exclaiming from within the tree-trunk.'' What's going on out there?''

'' I don't know!'' Sakura answered.'' But I hope he isn't trouble!''

'' _Hey, come merry dol! Delly dol, my darling!'' the voice sang loudly and clearly.'' Light goes the weather-wind and the feathered starling. Down along under hill, shining in the sunlight, waiting on the doorstep for the cold starlight. There my pretty lady is, River- woman's daughter, slender as the willow-wand, clearer than the water.''_

Frodo and Sam, who had been standing as if enchanted, were shocked to see a person wearing a big old battered reed-hat with a long blue feather stuck in the band. And as he hopped closer, Frodo, Sam and Sakura saw that he was much too tall and heavy to be a hobbit, but too short to be one of the Big Folk.

He was stomping and leaping towards them with great yellow boots on his thick legs, and wearing a coat that was as blue as the overhead sky. His face was red and touched with hundreds of tiny wrinkles and there was a long, bushy brown beard on his chin. In his hands he held a large, thick leaf in a manner of one holding a breakfast-tray, but instead of food, the leaf held a small pile of delicate water lilies.

But though the person looked truly bizarre with his colorful attire, his face seemed kind.

Frodo and Sam both held hope that the person had a kind heart and would be able to give help to them.

'' Hey you, please lend us a hand! '' Frodo and Sam cried out at the same time as they ran towards the person with their hands outstretched.

Sakura stayed back. She was unsure of what to make of this strange person whom had come their way. She stepped closer to the tree in which Naruto, Merry and Pippin were being held, but stayed far enough that she wasn't touching the bark of the tree.

'' Naruto? Merry? Pippin? Are you guys still alive in there?'' Sakura spoke up calmly, her voice high enough to be heard from inside the tree-trunk.

'' What do you think?'' was the immediate, indignant reply.

Sakura chuckled grimly at the sarcastic undertone of her friends voices. She raised an eyebrow as Pippin yelped:'' Please don't ask such a question. Just get us out of this horrid tree!''

'' I would have punched a hole in the blasted tree-trunk if Merry had let me, but he is afraid that the tree will crush him before I can get you guys out!'' Sakura huffed, crossing her arms around her chest.

'' Well excuse me for not wanting to be crushed into pulp by this god-awful plant!'' Merry exclaimed grimly.

Sakura snorted softly and rolled her green eyes up at the sky.

Shhkkk, shhkkk!

AAAIIIEEE!

Sakura cursed softly as she hopped away from the great old willow-tree as it's limbs swung out to hit her on the head; and at the same time she heard her boyfriend and friends cry out in pain_'' What the hell __did that wretched tree do to them?_'' the woman cursed inwardly as she dodged another swing. '' _God I despise this forest!''_

The bough of the tree swung down at her once more, but Sakura slapped the bough aside with a venomous expression in her eyes. She eyed the tree, but her ears were suddenly drawn to the voices of Frodo, Sam and the strange fellow.

She shook her head in disbelief as she listened to the panicked blabbering of the two hobbits. If this went on, their friends would be joining the dead ones.

Fortunately though, the colorfully clothes person was able to calm the hobbits down.

'' My little fellows, '' he was saying,'' why do you puff like bellows? And why such worry? I am Tom Bombadil. Tell me what your trouble is, but with haste cause I must head home very soon. And don't you crush my lilies!''

'' Our friends are trapped within a willow-tree!'' Frodo cried out, breathing rather fast from his running and the panic that had taken over him.

'' And their being crushed by the foul thing!'' Sam exclaimed with fear in his eyes.

'' What's that you say!'' Bombadil exclaimed, leaping up into the air in such a comical way that Naruto would have laughed if he had witnessed it. '' Nothing worse than that, eh? Well don't you worry now, for something so simple can be easily fixed.  
He turned his eyes and saw Sakura standing by the willow- tree that was holding the hobbits friends captive. '' Well sure know a tune that will freeze your marrow cold if you don't behave yourself. '' Tom said, aiming his words at the willow.'' I'll sing your roots off and make the wind blow leaf and branch away. Harken to my voice, Old Willow Man!''

The tree seemed to shiver slightly as Tom Bombadil took a step forward. The person then stooped and sat the lilies carefully down on a patch of soft grass before straightening and running over to the tree where he saw Merry's feet still sticking out; the rest had been drawn further inside.

Sakura could hear him singing softly as the male stooped and put his mouth to the crack. She couldn't understand the words, but it did not matter to her. She watched as Merry's feet suddenly began to kick out.

Sam, Frodo and Sakura watched with perplexed expressions as Tom jumped back, broke off a hanging branch and smote the trees side. ''You let them out, Old Man Willow!'' Tom spoke in a commanding voice.''You shouldn't be awake. Eat earth! Dig deep! Drink water! Go to sleep! Tom, the master commands you!''

The crack suddenly stooped forward and pulled Merry straight out of the opened hole.

Crack!

Frodo, Sam and Sakura jumped slightly when a loud tearing crack sounded from the other side of the tree, and poor Pippin was flung out from inside another widened hole like he had been kicked in the behind.

'' OOOFF!'' Pippin gasped out as his bottom hit the hard ground with enough force to knock the breath out of him. Still slightly dazed from what had occurred, The youngest hobbit slowly got to his feet.

CRRAACKK!

Another hole opened and Naruto was flung out much in the same manner as the unfortunate hobbit. But unlike the hobbit, the blond young man managed to twist in the air and land in a low crouch. Rubbing his aching wrists and arms, the man turned to glare at the Old Man Willow just as the hole closed with a loud snapping sound.

For a moment everyone stood their quietly, then the hobbits and even Sakura crowded around the strange Tom Bombadil with excited words of 'thank you' issuing from their lips one after another.  
Tom burst out laughing at the small folk and the woman's enthusiasm as he shook each of their hands. He then turned to address Naruto whom had finally approached him.

'' Yes, thank you for helping us, Tom Bombadil!'' he said politely and held out his right hand.

'' Just call me Tom, young man!'' Bombadil answered as he shook hands with the blond ninja.

When he pulled away, he happened to look down at the tired faces of the hobbits. Even the two humans looked slightly worn out from the harrowing ordeal with the Old Willow Man. '' Well, you people look tired. Come home with me and I'll serve you good white bread, cream and honeycombs.  
He walked over to where had left the white lilies and stooped to pick them up from the patch of long grass. ''Come now, everyone. There will be enough time for questions around the supper table!'' Tom said as he straightened his back and began to hop down a path that went eastwards.

'' I guess he wants to know what were doing here in this forest!'' Frodo wondered out loud.

'' Should we follow him?'' Merry asked. He looked like he wanted to follow the strange, and yet kind person into his home.

'' Why not, he doesn't seem threatening.'' Naruto answered thoughtfully

'' If only a little crazy!'' Sakura sighed as the strange fellow was heard singing again in the distance.

And so the six friends began to follow the same path that Tom Bombadil had taken. The white mist had started to rise around them and curl on the surface of the river and stray above the rocks of tree. It became harder and harder to follow the path as tiredness took over their limbs.  
The hobbits looked about nervously as strange sounds ran among the many bushes and reeds. Even the two ninjas were on alert as the listened to every sound that reached their ears.  
Then Sakura suddenly inhaled sharply as she happened to look up to the pale sky. She was certain that she was seeing gnarled, knobbly faces on the tree trunks that seemed to be looking down at them. She put her hand in Naruto's and squeezed it tightly.  
Naruto followed her gaze and felt his mouth fall open in shock as he saw the glowering faces against the twilight.

'' Geez, what is it with this forest?'' Naruto whispered under his breath before quickly averting his eyes to the path ahead.

Gradually the ground under the travelers feet began to rise and the grass under the hobbits and humans feet was smooth and short. The path was plain before their feet and it was also well tended and bordered with stones.  
They six friends followed the path and found themselves moving downwards before coming to another slope.

'' Look, there it is !'' Naruto exclaimed excitedly, pointing a hand towards the wide, bright beam shining into their eyes.

They hurried up the hill and as they reached the top of the slope, they were finally looking upon the small cottage of their helper.  
Behind the cottage was a steep shoulder of bare land and beyond that were the looming shapes of barrow-downs.  
Relieved that they had finally reached Tom Bombadil's domain, the group, including the ponies, hurried towards the door of the house.  
When they were at almost touching distance from the door, a familiar voice started singing an equally familiar song.

_Hey! Come merry dol! Hop along, my hearties!_  
_Hobbits! Humans Ponies all! We are fond of parties._  
_Now let the fun begin! Let us sing together!_

Tom Bombadil's voices faded away, but another voice could be heard singing behind the opened door. A voice that was as young and ancient as spring and as clear as water.  
The four hobbits and two humans walked over the wide stone threshold and stood still as they blinked at the light assaulting their eyes.  
The room they were standing in had a low ceiling and lamps were dangling from the roof-beams. There was also a table of well-polished wood situated in the middle of the room with many lighted candles on top.

And as their eyes adjusted more to the bright light they saw that standing at the far end of the room was a slender woman wearing a green dress and a gold belt shaped like flag-lilies. In her hands she was holding six small,but beautiful lily-flowers.  
The woman also wore a headpiece of living blue forget- me- nots on her blond curls.  
White lilies in wide, rounded glass bowls had also been set on a soft blue carpet around her.  
As she stepped over the numerous water- filled bowls and almost glided over to greet them, the travelers were suddenly filled awkwardness at stepping into the domain of such an amazingly beautiful form of woman.

But as they looked at her kind, smiling face the awkwardness drifted away.

'' Welcome to our home, dear folks!"'' The woman said softly as she walked over to where they were standing by the door. She reached out to close the door.'' Laugh and be merry, as the night is now shut down. I'm Goldberry, daughter of the River-woman!''

She then walked right up to them and gave each of them one of the flowers as a token of her acceptance of them coming to her's and Bombadil's domain.

…...

The next morning dawned bright and cold. The six friends had eaten a nourishing breakfast of bread, berries, tea and honey before bedding heartfelt farewells to both Goldberry and Tom Bombadil.

As the four hobbits and two humans stood outside with their ponies at their side, they were once again reminded to stay where the green grass grew and pass the barrows from the west-side. Tom had them sing the rhyme that he had taught them yesterday just in case they were to run into danger unexpectedly. The singing was done in the midst of tea and sweets.

_Ho! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo!_  
_By water , wood and hills, by the reed and willow!_

A few small birds landed on branches nearby as their hearing picked up the sound of the travellers singing in almost even rhythm.

_By fire, sun and moon, harken now and hear us! Come, Tom Bombadil for our need is near us!_

When the song ended, a chuckling Tom clapped them each on the shoulder. The hobbits and Naruto each gave a bow to the master of the forest, and Sakura gave a curtsy, before mounting their steeds.

As the ponies slowly jogged down the gently sloping hill, Naruto, Sakura and the hobbits kept looking back at the small house that had such friendly and welcoming people.

As the morning processed, the air grew warmer and more pleasant. A strong and sweet scent of turf roses wafted through the they reached the bottom of the hill. They all happened to look back that moment and were surprised to see Goldberry standing on top of the hill wearing her flowing reed-green dress and her golden belt.

From the bottom of the hill she looked even smaller and slenderer; like a sunlit flower against the sky. She lifted a hand as she gave a call of farewell before turning around and skipping away.  
The six friends watched her until she disappeared behind the hill.

Several hours of traveling later, the four hobbits, two humans and six ponies reached a cluster of hills. The travelers dismounted and led their steeds up a hill. When they reached the summit they had to walk down-hill and then up again.  
At some point during their march they halted and sat out in the warm sun with their legs stretched out and eating a good lunch. After they'd eaten, the six friends decided to lay on the ground on their backs and stare up at the sky until their eyes began to slide shut. After a while they had all fallen into dream-world.  
Hours later they woke up in cold-sweat and quickly sat up to look around them. The standing stones around them were gray and cold and long shadows stretched eastwards. The air was silent, heavy and chilly. The six ponies were standing crowded together with their heads down.

Alarmed, the hobbits sprang to their feet and ran to the western rim. Sakura and Naruto followed them with less alarm but with worry on their faces.  
They were standing on an island obscured by thick fog. The sun was setting which caused shadows to spring up in the east behind them. Then, much to their nervousness, a fog crept up like a wall that was slowly rising above them. It became like a roof that was locking them in.

The travelers hurriedly packed up the belongings they had taken out and strapped them on their ponies. The whole phenomenon had a spooky air to it and they didn't like to be in its presence any longer.  
Soon they led their steeds over the rim and down the long northward slope of the hill in one single file.

As they headed down the mist around them became colder and damper.

Sakura groaned in agitation as she reached up to brush away the water that had settled on top of her head.'' Kuso (dammit), I wish I had the mind to twist my hair into a braid and not have let it to wave about!'' she thought inwardly and grimaced. When she looked around at her companions, she noticed that they all had lanky, dripping hair and raindrops falling onto their cheeks.

'' Brrr, its cold down here!'' Pippin exclaimed with a shiver and drew his cloak more heavily around him.

Sakura nodded agreeably as she too noticed the sudden drop in the temperature. She shivered and pulled out her warm green cloak from her traveling pack and swung it over her shoulders.  
Naruto, Frodo, Sam and Merry followed their two companions wordless advice before mounting their restless steeds.

Naruto looked around with a frown on his face as they slowly rode under a gate-like opening of a cliff. The path was narrow and under the path was a deep chasm. He and his companions were all riding in a straight line with Frodo leading and Sakura following right behind the dark haired hobbit. Behind her rode Sam, Merry and Pippin. The Kyuubi- vessel was the last to cross the gaping chasm.

The valley before them seemed to stretch on endlessly.

'' Ah, look there!'' Frodo suddenly exclaimed in excitement, pointing to a dark looming shape of hills.'' The gap must be in that direction. Will be far away from the barrow-downs soon! Let's go!''

But as they picked up their pace and hurried towards their destination, the dark patches around them grew darker and shrunk. Two huge standing stones loomed in front of them like the pillars of a huge entrance door.  
Frodo was sure he hadn't seen these in the valley when he had looked down from the high hill. He passed through the stones without even being aware of it, and as he did so, the darkness fell around him.  
A fierce neigh and a strong bucking motion jolted him back to awareness. But as he tried to cajole the beast, the horse reared up on his hind legs. Not expecting it to do such a thing, Frodo tumbled off his steed's back.

'' Ooofff! '' Frodo gasped in pain as his rump hit the hard forest floor. He looked up with helplessness in his stature as his panicking horse disappeared into the gathering darkness. Groaning, he sat up and looked around for his companions, but much to his puzzlement he found that the others had not followed him like he had told them to.

'' Sam!'' Frodo cried, willing his voice to not shake. '' Naruto! Merry! Pippin! Sakura! Where are you all? Why haven't you followed?''  
H

e tried to listen for an answer, but there was none. '' Sam? Naruto? Anyone?'' Frodo shouted in panic as he ran past the stones. He strained his ears and was suddenly aware of a faint:'' Hoy! Frodo hoy!'' shout from far ahead and high above him.

Determined to find his friends, the hobbit plunged off into the direction where he had heard the call of his name and found himself going steeply uphill.  
He gasped for breath as he struggled upwards but kept on calling for his friends and hoping that they would answer.

'' Help! Help!'' someone wailed but the dark haired hobbit couldn't discern whether it was a hobbit or a human.

Gritting his teeth, Frodo stormed forward with all the speed he could muster towards the cries, but the light that had once been there was gone and the clinging night had closed in upon him. The darkness made it impossible for him to know whether he was going in the right direction or to see his friends. And he seemed to be going upwards all the way, but the ground then suddenly leveled underneath his feet. He had reached the top of the ridge, or hill.  
The dark haired hobbit panted as he stared into the darkness; he felt weary and his whole body was soaked in sweat.'

' W-where are you?'' Frodo cried out into the darkness, his voice shaking in misery. '' _Why is this happening?_'' he thought miserably as no answer reached his ears.

The hobbit sighed as the wind began to blow at his sweaty face; an icy wind which showed that change had come over the weather. He took a breath and watched it turn into a white curtain of mist. And when Frodo happened to look up at the sky, he saw faint stars twinkling overhead.

A faint cry suddenly reached his ears. Gasping, Frodo turned and made his way towards the place where he'd heard the call. Above him the starry sky was finally fully unveiled. He found himself facing southwards and to the right of him loomed a dark black shape. It was a great barrow-down.

'' Where are you guys?'' he hollered as loudly as he could.

'' Hhheere!'' a deep, cold voice hissed out .

Frodo jumped and looked around wildly. The voice seemed to have come from underground.

'' Hhheerre!'' the voice croaked out of the ground once more.

'' N-no!'' The hobbit whispered, but found that he couldn't run away. It was like someone was holding him there in an iron grip.

He fell on his trembling knees that had suddenly betrayed him. Gasping for breath, Frodo looked up to see a tall dark figure like a shadow standing against the bright stars.

'' I've been wwaiting fooorr youuuu!'' it hissed down at the paralyzed hobbit.

'' No, no!'' Frodo gasped as he tried to stand up, but his legs once again collapsed under him. He stared up into the two cold, pale eyes glaring down at him.

Then suddenly, a grip so strong and unyielding squeezed him around the chest and throat that it left him gasping helplessly for breath. Then a coldness seeped into his body and he started loosing consciousness. Soon he knew no more.

Frodo panted as he came to himself again. For a while he couldn't recall anything but the sense of dread. But as he looked around him he realized that he was imprisoned in a dark barrow. The barrow-wight had taken him inside it's domain.

The hobbit dared not to move from where he lay flat on his back on a cold hard stone with his hands on his chest. Memories of his kind gentle and yet brave uncle Bilbo flooded his mind. The times they had jogged along the lanes of the Shire together and them sitting by the fireplace during the evenings. They had talked about many things that held importance, and also things that were not really important but enjoyable to speak about.

''Could this be the end of my adventure?'' Frodo thought with sadness as the darkness around him slowly ebbed away to give way to a pale green light.

The light showed little of what lay inside the chamber, for the light seemed to be coming out of the hobbit himself and the floor underneath him. Grimacing, Frodo turned and saw something that made his mouth fall open.  
There were his friends lying motionless on the floor in the cold, faint glow of light. Their faces were deathly pale; their lips an unhealthy blue color.  
They no longer wore their traveling clothes, but were clad in snow-white silk clothing.  
His eyes looked down at each of his friends, taking in their pale features and suddenly blushed despite the grave situation when he took notice of the way the thin material clung onto Sakura's lean, curvy form. Averting his eyes quickly he saw the many treasures that had been put around him and his friends. They looked to be made out of gold, but in the greenish light the treasures looked cold and unlovely. Circlets had been put on his friends forehead's and many rings were glimmering on their fingers. Swords had been put to rest by their arms and shields were on the ground by their feet.

Frodo's eyes widened when he happened to notice a long sword that had been lowered across the necks of the three unfortunate hobbits and a smaller sword that was resting on the necks of the two humans.  
The hobbit's head whipped around the room as a song began to echo from the darkness in a cold murmur that suddenly became a moan of immeasurable grimness.

Words were occasionally shaped into the voices filled with grimness, hardness, heartlessness and misery.

Frodo shivered; the force of the words were like ice-water being poured over him and his warmth was slowly being devoured. The song became clearer and clearer, and the hobbit slowly began to understand that the words spoken were no mere words. They were an incantation.  
The hobbit swiveled around when the sound of creaking and scraping reached his ears. There was a long passage-way which turned a corner and lead to someplace beyond his sight.

Frodo turned back to his friends as a strange feeling gripped his heart. His breath stifled in his throat as he saw a long arm groping, or walking on it's fingers towards his good friend Sam whom was lying nearest to him.  
'' Sam, o Sam!'' Frodo thought as the arm reached towards the hilt of the sword that lay across Sam's throat.

The dark haired hobbit felt as if he had been turned to stone. Wild thoughts of putting on the ring and saving his own miserable neck battered at him, but no matter how scared he was or how dire the situation had become, the hobbit knew that he couldn't just forsake Sam, Naruto, Merry, Pippin and Sakura.

Wrenching his hand out of his shirt's pocket where it had somehow wandered off to, Frodo seized the short sword that lay beside him and knelt over the bodies of his precious friends. He grunted as he hewed at the approaching arm and found the sword splintering into pieces as it came in contact with where the arm ended at the wrist; but it had done its work.  
A loud shriek that sounded awfully like a Black Rider echoed in the darkness and the eery green light that had appeared vanished.

Frodo even thought he heard a snarl resounding from somewhere in the darkness as he suddenly fell forward over Merry. He winced as he felt the coldness seeping out of the young Brandibuk as the Baggins's cheek touched the other's face.

'' What else can I do to bring them back? Ai Valar, what can I do?'' Frodo swallowed brokenly, reaching forward to touch a hand to Sam's equally freezing face. He squeezed his eyes shut, and it was in that moment that his thoughts wandered to the house of Tom Bombadil, the master of the Old Forest. Tom with his colorful clothing and his lovely spouse¨Goldberry had forever been burned into his memory.

Frodo jerked up. He remembered Tom's singing voice as the master taught them the rhyme that would bring him to their aid if his company were to find themselves in life-threatening danger.

'' Ho! Tom Bombadil!'' Frodo uttered in a small weak voice. But even as the words issued from his throat, the hobbit felt his voice and body grow stronger.

_Ho! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo?_  
_By water, wood and hill, by the reed and willow_  
_By the fire, sun and moon, harken now and hear us!_  
_Come, Tom Bombadil, for our need is near us!_

A silence came over the burrow as Frodo finished the rhyme. His heart beat wildly inside his chest as he waited for a miracle. Then…

_Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow_  
_Bright blue his jacket is and his boots are yellow_  
_None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is master_  
_His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster!_

A loud rumbling noise echoed around the chamber like rolling rocks and falling stones. Light suddenly streamed in; real light that came from the sun.  
A low door like opening appeared at the end of the previously dark chamber beyond where Frodo's feet ended. When he looked at the opened hole, Tom's head peeked inside.  
The light lit up the rooms floor and the faces of the tree motionless hobbits and two humans.

Frodo touched Merry's arm, but the other wouldn't stir. Not one of his motionless companions stirred despite the light touching their faces. And yet their faces had lost the sickly palor; they simply looked like they were in a very deep sleep.

_Get out, you old wight! Vanish in the sunlight!_  
_Shrivel like the old mist, like the winds go wailing_  
_Out into the barren lands far beyond the mountains!_  
_Come never here again! Leave your barrow empty!_  
_Where gates stand forever shut, till the world is mended. _

There was a sudden cry and part of the inner end of the chamber fell in with a great crash. Then a long trailing shriek echoed around the chamber before it was suddenly silenced.

'' Come now, my friend!'' Tom spoke up.'' Let's make our way to the clean grass! You have to help me carry them out !

The hobbit nodded numbly and turned to circle his arms around Merry's waist. He heaved and puffed as he lugged the motionless hobbit out the hole and deposited him gently on the sunlit forest floor.  
Tom, whom had been carrying Sam, the heaviest of the hobbits, lowered him down to lay beside Merry.  
But they had no time to rest for they still had to carry two tall humans and two hobbits out into the sunlight. By the time Frodo and Tom had lugged the tall, heavy human man out of the burrow the poor hobbit was ready to collapse from weariness.

The dark haired hobbit dropped to his knees on the soft grass before rolling onto his back. As he looked up at the canopy of branches he let his mind wander to what he had seen in the chamber when they had carried Naruto out. He was sure that he's seen the arm of the barrow-wight still wriggling like a wounded spider in a heap of fallen soil.  
After a moment Frodo just shook his head. He must have been more tired then he had first thought. He must have just been imagining.

The hobbit turned to look at Tom whom walked past him with skipping steps and ventured once more inside the once dark barrow. A while later he returned with his arms laden with many treasures.

Frodo locked his shock filled eyes upon the gold, silver, copper and bronze ornaments that had been brought to the sunlight. There was also quite a few beads, chains and various jewelry.

The hobbit was snapped to awareness when Tom opened his mouth and chanted with a strong, commanding voice: '' _Wake up now merry lads! Wake and hear me calling! Warm now be heart and limb! The stone is fallen. Dark door is standing wide; dead hand is broken. Night under Night is flown, and the gate is open!''_

Frodo breathed in a deep sigh of relief and joy as his friends stirred. The hobbit watched as Naruto and Sakura were the first to stretch their arms and rub their eyes before springing to a sitting position with amazement and bemusement clear in their eyes.

And it didn't take long for the three hobbits to do the same thing.

'' What in the name of all hobbits in the Shire?'' Merry exclaimed, seeing Tom Bombadil standing on the barrow-top that was above them. Then a strange shadow came over visage.'' The men of Carn Dum came out in the night and we were worsted. Ah, the spear in my heart!''  
The hobbit clutched at his chest, but after a moment lucidness came into his eyes. '' Ah, what am I saying to you guys? I must have been dreaming!''

'' But really, what exactly happened to you Frodo?'' Pippin exclaimed, groaning slightly as he stood up on his still trembling feet. He grimaced when he felt the cold circlet on his head slip over his left eye.

'' Well, after I fell off my panicking pony, I found myself alone and lost,'' Frodo answered, shaking his head slightly,'' but I have no wish to speak of it more. At least not now!''

'' Whatever you wish, Frodo, for I'm glad that were all still among the living; but its getting late. '' Sakura commented from where she was standing. ''I think we better head onwards soon.''  
The hobbits turned to look at her but blushed and had to turn away. The garment she was wearing was so thin that it looked like she was standing outside in a nightgown.

'' Dressed up as we are now, Sakura? No way!'' Sam exclaimed quickly.'' Where are our real clothes?''

'' Now that Sam mentions it,'' Naruto commented with a small laugh,'' I wouldn't mind having you a bit more covered up in front of our hobbit friends and Tom, Sakura-chan!''

'' You don't say?'' Sakura commented sarcastically as she covered her breasts with her arms; her chest-wrappings had been removed while inside the burrow. She was very aware that the others wouldn't look at her; even Tom Bombadil was whistling and looking up at the slowly darkening sky.

'' I would like that very much.'' Frodo murmured with embarrassment as he watched Merry, Pippin, Sam and Naruto removing rings, circlets and belts and throwing them to the ground before looking around for their discarded garments.

'' Oh, you won't find your clothes again, I'm afraid.'' Tom said as he bounded down from the mound. He laughed and danced around the suddenly astonished company. And as he did so, the six friends suddenly felt light-hear ted; it was like nothing dreadfully dangerous had even occurred. The merry glint in Tom Bombadil's eyes drove away the fear that still stuck to their hearts.

'' But why do you say that?'' Naruto asked, quirking his eyebrow.'' Surely we can find our clothes somewhere inside the burrow.''

Tom shook his head, his eyes gleaming with laughter.'' You have been brought back from the deep water. Your minds are again intact; and that's why loosing your clothes is such a little loss. Be glad my merry friends and let the warm sunlight heat heart and limb! Cast off these cold rags! Run naked on the grass, while Tom goes to fetch your horses!''

The master of the forest then sprang away from the group and headed down the hill at a brisk run whilst whistling and calling.

The company watched in stunned silence as their new friend ran away southwards along the green hollow between the hill and the next. Soon they heard him singing;

_Hey now! Come hoy now! Whither do you wander?_  
_Up, down,near or far, here, there or yonder?_  
_Sharp-ears, Wise-nose, Swish-tail, Bumpkin and Snowdrop,_  
_White-socks my little lad, Neigher and Old Fatty Lumpkin!_

He ran fast while singing and tossing his hat merrily up in the air. A little while later he was hidden by a fold of ground, but they could still hear him sing the familiar: '' _Hey now! Hoy now!''_

The wind carried it to them from the south.

Sakura turned to glance at the other members of the small company.'' Was he serious about what he said? '' she muttered, breaking the stunned silence that had come over his friends.

Naruto grinned as he edged closer to the young woman.'' I wouldn't doubt his words, Sakura- chan. He may be a little different but his words hold truth.'' he said and pounced at his girlfriend before she had a change to move.

Sakura shrieked in both surprise and laughter as Naruto's fingers expertly found the most ticklish spots on her ribs. She squirmed wildly to slip out of blonde's grasp, but the young man held onto her tightly.

And at the same moment, Pippin had wanted a little fun himself and had started a game of Tag- The- Hobbit and was chasing Merry, Sam and Frodo around the large clearing. Their laughter and playful taunts rang around the clearing and brought many small forest- animals to the sides of the clearing to watch the hobbits play. Never had the beasts seen anything so intriguing.

'' Oooppphh!'' Naruto gasped as Sakura brought him to the ground and landed on top of him. She had chased him all around the clearing ever since he had let go of her.  
The blond ninja smirked and wrestled himself on top of the much lighter human; but though he rested his elbows over Sakura's wrists, he didn't let his whole weight fall on her. He looked down into the woman's stunningly green eyes with a smile on his lips. Naruto lowered his head down until Sakura's forehead was touching his.

'' I love you, Sakura!'' he whispered so softly that only the one he loved heard his words.'' I was so scared when the barrow-wight took you; I couldn't even move my arms or legs in order to help you!''

'' Ssshhh… let's not speak of it anymore; its over now. '' Sakura whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Naruto's upper-lip..'' Tom has saved us and we can now head in the direction of Bree where Gandalf is waiting for us.''

'' But what if Tom hadn't…''

'' Shh, be silent, Naruto!'' Sakura said firmly, but caressed the side of the blond man's cheek lovingly.'' Its over, you hear me?''

Naruto breathed in a deep steadying breath and staring deeply into Sakura's eyes.  
'' Y- yes, were all together, thank god!'' he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment. The blond ninja then opened them again when he felt Sakura's lips closing over his own. He smiled inwardly as he and Sakura kissed for a long moment, and savoring the feeling of each others skin under the very thin, white clothing.

…...

Days had passed since the small group left the warmth and shelter of the house in Crickhollow…

Naruto sighed and moved his hand over the wet strands of spiky blond hair that had grown down to his shoulders. He was feeling grumpy and miserable as the cold droplets of rain splattered his already water-logged form; and he wasn't the only person of their company whom looked like they'd taken a swim in a lake with their clothes on.

It had only been about ten minutes since they had bid a last farewell to Tom Bombadil before the Master of the Old Forest had guided his Old Fatty Lumpkin down the path they had traveled from.

The hobbits had wanted Tom to travel with them all the way to Bree, but the fellow had declined saying that he preferred to be in his own land and that his lovely wife Goldberry was waiting for him to come home.

Naruto sighed again and wrapped his thick, dark green cloak more firmly around himself; he was so cold, and not even the warmer winter clothes they had put on after loosing their other clothes to the barrow-wights could warm him up.  
The blond ninja winced as a slight pain pricked at his back before radiating to his left shoulder. He subconsciously lifted his right hand to rub his aching shoulder, but did it in a way that it went unnoticed by his just as miserable companions.  
He wasn't sure why the old wound pained him, but he knew it had something to do with the other worldliness of the feared Black Riders.

Nevertheless he wasn't about to scare Frodo or the others any further when they all held the same fear of being ambushed in the darkness by the said Riders.  
He felt like he was hearing everything from underwater as Frodo told them that he didn't want neither of them to act out of ordinary and that the name Baggins wasn't to be mentioned in any circumstance. The dark haired hobbit was also saying that if any family name was to be given, they were to use the name Underhill.

'' Naruto? Naruto is something bothering you?'' Pippin's voice spoke up suddenly, which snapped the blond haired ninja back into awareness.

'' Its just the weather, Pippin. It is a real drag to be walking outside when its poring buckets! '' Naruto moaned, pulling the hood of his green cloak more firmly over his head as a wind past through him. '' Though I have to admit that our situation could be worse; like with the Old Man Willow, the Barrow- Wights and the Black Riders! But why in the world does it need to rain for so many days?''

'' I don't know, Naruto! '' Pippin mumbled miserably, wiping water from his face with the back of his hand. '' But I, too, have grown sick and tired of this weather.''

Their journey from Buckland had started of bad with them getting lost in the Old Forest. Then Pippin, Sakura, Merry and him had almost been suffocated by a tree whose name they later found out to be Old Man Willow.  
The only good thing about the whole adventure in the forest had been to meet the master of the forest, Tom Bombadil and his fair lady Goldberry, daughter of the River. But the day after meeting the strange, and yet very kind, master of the forest, things had gone from good to disaster when they had been ensnared by the barrow-wigts.

Thankfully Tom Bombadil had come to save their hides again.

The six travelers were at the moment crouching behind some dense bushes with their ponies waiting for Frodo's signal.

Finally, Frodo stood up and gestured for them all to follow his lead.

Merry, Sam and Pippin followed right behind, as Frodo determinately walked over to the gate.  
Naruto and Sakura stayed at the back, making sure that no black riders were coming down the road.  
When the dark haired hobbit knocked on the gate, a very grumpy old gatekeeper opened the window built on the gate.

"What do you want, and where do you come from? And do you have others with you? " The gatekeeper called out gruffly, noticing Sakura and Naruto standing by the gate.

" Well mister, why don't you open the lower window and see for yourself. It can't be that hard to do, can it?" Sakura mumbled sarcastically, swiping water off her face as it trickled annoyingly down the side of her face.

The old man grumbled with noticeable irritation as he slammed the window shut, crouched lower and opened the lower window to get a better view of the other travelers. Seeing what kind of travelers were associating with the man and woman, the gatekeeper opened the door and held up a lamp towards the people. "Hobbits? We don't often see Shire- folk riding on the road at night! May I know your names and why you wish to enter Bree?"

Though Naruto understood the need for the gatekeeper to ask why they had come, he was very worried about the Black Riders catching up to them.

"Our names and our business are our own," he answered impatiently, stepping forward to stand next to Frodo and lowered a hand on the hobbit's shoulder. He didn't like the look of the man nor the tone of his voice.

'' Your business is your own, no doubt!'' said the man.'' But it's my business to ask questions after nightfall. There are talks of strange folk abroad, and we can't be too careful.''

''Oh for the sake of the Shire!'' Merry exclaimed and pushed passed the blond ninja.'' I am Mister Meriadoc Brandybuck of Buckland!'' he sternly, stepping closer to the man. '' We are weary travelers and wish to stay at the Inn. The Bree- folk used to be fair- spoken to travelers, or so I heard. Won't you let us pass?''

'' Alright, alright! I mean no offense, but you'll find that there will be others here who'll be asking questions from such a strange band of travelers. Have a nice evening!''

The old, grumpy gatekeeper then opened the gate and let the group pass through to enter Bree.

'' Nice evening indeed, oh Kami- sama!'' Sakura muttered, glaring up at the pitch- black, and yet clouded sky as they road up a gentle slope. '' If that was his idea of a joke, his got to have a few screws loose in that old head of his.''

'' _Our names and business are our own!'' _Merry said sarcastically, trying to imitate Naruto's tone of voice that had sounded slightly threatening to say the least. '' Honestly, Naruto, could you have looked and acted a little less threatening in the presence of that gatekeeper?''

'' Hey, I was worried that those riders would come while we just stood there waiting for that man to let us through!'' Naruto retorted at the brown haired hobbit defensively.

'' Would you both just stop bickering? '' Frodo snapped out suddenly, twisting in his saddle to give Merry and Naruto an admonishing glare. '' I'm getting enough of a headache without you needing to add more to it!'''

Merry and Naruto shared a glance with each other and closed their mouths. Well, at least for a moment.

'' Whoa, whoa! Someone's got a short fuse today, Merry!'' Naruto commented, whispering in the hobbit's ear.

Merry gave a short nod before leaning forward to whisper a retort: '' Who wouldn't be after such an arduous journey. But it's not just that. It's having to carry such a heavy burden on ones's shoulders.''

'' To carry such a dangerous object with you and having to worry about one's companions... '' Naruto whispered with a grimace.'' Must be hard!''

Sighing, he turned to look ahead. He fell silent, and Merry didn't seem to want to continue the conversation.

As their group of six members rode to the heart of the village, they attracted the attention of a fairly large group of local village people. And yet they never payed attention to the whispering groups of locals. Their eyes were fixed on the tall, human built houses with two or three storeys and many windows.  
When they found the '' Inn of the Prancing pony'', after a long while of searching around the terribly drenched and slippery cobblestone streets, they were all greatly relieved to finally have reached a place that was dry and warm.

They left their horses tide outside in the street and entered the Inn.

Sam, who was last to enter, closed the door behind them.

For a moment the group could only stare dumbly at the strange mix of people in the building. There were dwarves, strange men from different parts of Middle Earth, and local hobbits.  
They then turned their attention to a round faced man standing by a counter drying several goblets with a clean linen cloth. With the apron he was wearing over his clothing and his fat ale- belly he greatly took the appearance of a wealthy innkeeper  
The four hobbits and two humans (all drenched from the rain and leaving wet footprints on the wooden floor) quickly headed to the front counter to ask for rooms before someone else was to grab them from right under their noses. On their way to the counter they had to dodge several local people whom had by the looks of it imbibed a rather dazzling amount of alcohol drinks and were now staggering and tripping towards the door of the Inn.

Sakura could only shook her head in disgust as he peered at them over her shoulder.'' Men!'' she muttered under her breath.'' Their all the same when it comes to drinking!''

"Excuse me," Frodo spoke up as he and the others had dodged their way passed the many people crowding the halls of the Inn

The Innkeeper walked over, looking bemused as to who had spoken for a moment before he looked down and met the eyes of the dark haired hobbit.

"Good evening, little masters," he exclaimed, addressing the hobbit whom had spoken and the three standing behind the dark haired one.  
The man then looked further and saw Naruto and Sakura, who were standing behind Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam, (dripping wet from the rain). He quickly welcomed them to his Inn as well before turning his attention back to the hobbit.

" Are the man and young lady traveling in your company as well, by any chance?" asked the Innkeeper politely.

Frodo nodded.

"Well," the man continued, "if you're all seeking nice accommodations, we've got some nice cosy hobbit size rooms available enough for you and you're two other friends, Mr.…?"

" Underhill. My name's Underhill." The Baggins lied, knowing that it would be a bad thing to tell the innkeeper his real name.

"Underhill, hmm."

"We're all friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we've arrived?" Frodo then asked politely.

"Gandalf? '' the Innkeeper asked in bemusement before his brain and his ears made the connection to the spoken words. '' Oh, oh yes, I remember now. Elderly chap with a gray beard and pointy hat?"

Frodo nodded again with a small polite smile on his face.

"Not seen him for six weeks. '' The man then said, shaking his head.

The hobbit's tentative smile disappeared immediately at this announcement. Frodo turned to look at his companions. Naruto, Sakura, Pippin, Merry and Sam all looked shocked at what they had heard.

"What do we do now?" asked Sam, voicing out the question that had popped up in the heads of all the hobbits. He was looking very worried.

"We'll just have to rent us a few rooms, and then simply wait for Gandalf to appear!" Sakura answered firmly, putting a hand on Frodo's shoulder. '' It was his plan that we were to travel to Bree and meet the old chap in the '' Inn of the Prancing Pony'', but we can't panic now that we've found out that our friend in not here!''

Frodo looked down at the wooden floor, deep in thought.'' Your right, Sakura! I just hope this hasn't got anything to do with the wizard, Saruman.''

Sakura winced, squeezing Frodo's shoulder a little more tightly. '' I hope so, too!'' she thought inwardly, reminding herself that she had been the one to put Frodo thinking that Saruman may have joined Sauron.  
'

' Ah, now, what was I going to say.'' The innkeeper spoke up. He was tapping his chin as the travelers turned their attention back on him '' Oh, yes! There's a party that came up from Greenway from down south last night. Then there's the traveling company of dwarves going west come in this evening, so I'm afraid we don't have any Big- folk sized rooms available right now.''

'' It's alright. I'm sure we can all fit in one hobbit sized room, somehow.'' Sakura answered, smiling kindly at the suddenly doubtful looking innkeeper. '' If you'd bring us sleeping mats and get our ponies settled in the stables we would be very pleased. ''

And so it came to be, that Mr Butterbur quickly dispatched a young servant- hobbit by the name of Nob to find the stable- master whose name Naruto and the others learned was Bob.  
Their horses were taken to the stables as Mr Butterbur led the group down a passage- way and opened a door to the left.

'' Here is you nice little parlor.'' he said. '' I hope it will suit you all and that you won't be too crowded. I'm sorry that I must excuse myself now. There's so much to do down in the pub. If you want anything, ring the hand- bell and Nob will come. If he doesn't come, ring and shout.''

Off he went, and left Naruto, Sakura, Merry, Pippin and Sam standing in the Middle of a cozy, small room with fire burning in the hearth and comfortable chairs scattered around the room. There was also a round table, already spread with a white cloth and on it was a large hand- bell.

Naruto sighed as he sank into one of the chairs near the hearth. His wound was aching under the bandages and his thoughts were still lingering on the fate of Gandalf. The old man he had come to see as a grandfather figure and one he held in very high respect. '' So, what do you think we should do if the old wizard doesn't make it to Bree for one reason or another? '' he asked, looking back at Frodo who was still standing in the Middle of the room.

'' I think we should head towards Rivendell.'' Frodo answered with a frustrated sigh. He had truly hoped to meet up with Gandalf and was disappointed at the wizard's absence. He walked over to where Naruto was sitting and slumped down on a chair next to his friend. '' Unless either you or Sakura have anything else in mind.''

Naruto turned to look over his shoulder to exchange a questioning glance with Sakura whom shook her head.

'' No, I don't think there's anything else that we can do.'' Naruto sighed, turning back to Frodo. '' Let's wait for a few days and then if Gandalf isn't here by then, we will head towards Rivendell. Or was it called Imladris like Gandalf told Sakura and I when we visited the Grey Havens? Aarrgghhh! Why do the names of places have to differ so much amongst the different races in Middle Earth? ''

Sakura, Merry and Pippin burst out laughing at Naruto's unexpected rambling.

'' In the language of Sindarin, its called Imladris.'' Frodo answered helpfully, biting his upper lip as he tried to hold back his own laughter. '' But the meaning is the same in both the common tongue, and that's Deep Valley of the Cleft.''

'' Oh!'' Naruto muttered, blushing slightly.

It was then and there that Frodo finally succumbed into shared hilarity with Sakura, Merry and Pippin.  
Laughter, that was shared with Naruto himself a moment later when he, too, saw the hilarity in his own actions.

And for a while, the questions as to what had happened to Gandalf the Grey were lost to the moment of laughter shared between close friends.

**End of Chapter 6  
**


	7. Chapter 7 The mysterious ranger, Strider

**Chapter 7 The mysterious ranger, Strider**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Shippuden or Lord of the Rings.**

**Summary of Chapter 7: Frodo and his companions have reached the village of Bree. What problems will occur while they lounge in the inn called the Prancing Pony? Find out in Chapter 7!**

** ...**

A little while later, three quarters of an hour to be precise, Naruto, Sakura, Frodo, Merry, Sam and Pippin sat down to enjoy a truly fantastic appetizing supper that consisted of hot soup, cold meats, a blackberry tart, new loaves and slabs of butter ripe cheese.

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle as he took notice of how eagerly the four hobbits and Naruto dug into the meal. And after taking a bite out of the big piece of bread in her hand, she immediately grabbed her plate and began gathering food into it. She found that the food really tasted wonderful after a long, arduous journey, a relaxing bath and a change of clothes.

Another quarter of an hour passed before all the plates on the table had been emptied and the large jug of water totally debriefed of its contents. Sakura had been very insistent on the hobbits drinking something other than alcohol since at least half of their group would be joining the other people at the pub.

Naruto decided to stay in the room and sleep off some of the tiredness he was feeling. His already closing wound that had felt better after a hot bath was once more sending twinges of pain slivering down his shoulder. It felt like ice water was being slowly trickled inside his skin.

The man sighed softly as the mattress sunk slightly as his girlfriend sat down and pushed aside the long bangs of hair from his forehead.

He had tried to hide his discomfort but Sakura had seen right past his mask.

As he lay down, he could feel his eyelids closing at their own accord, and the last words he heard being whispered in his ear were: '' Sleep well, my love!''

He was still smiling as he fell into a deep slumber.

Sakura reached out to snuffed out the small light coming from the yellow bee-wax candle resting on the bedside table. She sat there on top of the mattress for a moment looking down at the slumbering form of her lover with thoughtfulness and worry shining in her green eyes.

The young woman worried over the uncharacteristic tiredness that had come over Naruto when he usually was full of energy. She had wanted to stay with him in the small bed- chamber, but the blond had insisted she go with the hobbits to keep an eye on them just in case something happened. Seeing the reason in his words, she had yielded to his wish.

Heaving out a small sigh, Sakura rose up from her spot on the mattress and headed for the wooden door in the corner of the bed-chamber. When Sakura reached the door of the pub on the end of the passage- way, she couldn't help but stop for a moment to assess the sight of all the activity in the room.

The light came mostly from a large fireplace in the corner of the pub and three lamps that hanged from the ceiling. Their glow was half veiled by the smoke wafting from the fireplace and the pipes being used by the guests.

Barliman Butterbur was standing near the fire talking to a couple of dwarves, and there were men and hobbits sitting around on benches. There were also vague figures sitting in the shadows of the room that her eyes couldn't make out.

Sighing, she stepped further into the room and was suddenly met with total silence. Many of the men had turned their heads in her direction and were openly ogling at her. Even some of the dwarves and hobbits were staring at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.

Blushing, Sakura quickly headed over to the table where Sam and Frodo were sitting at opposite ends of the table.

'' Looks like your arrival brought quite a change to the crowd.'' Sam whispered, quietly laughing at the red faced kunoichi. '' They were all looking at the exotic young woman with pink hair and large breasts and unless I'm mistaken, their still ogling.''

'' SAM!'' Sakura hissed, bopping the blond haired hobbit lightly on the head with her fist.'' Would you mind giving a little consideration for the lady, please?'' she finished, blushing even redder when her self- consciousness started to bug her.

During the time she had lived in Isengard Sakura had noticed that her breasts had been growing bigger as she became older. Thankfully they hadn't become as huge as her Shishou's, but they had become big, and that had been the reason why it had taken some time for both her and Naruto to get used to the changes in her appearance.

'' Well it's true!'' Sam retorted, rubbing his aching skull. '' I saw some of the men looking at your cleavage.''

'' DIRTY OLD MEN!'' Sakura hissed vehemently, clenching her hands into fists. '' But let's get back to more important things. Frodo, do you know exactly where we can find Rivendell?''

'' I've never been there, but I have been looking at Bilbo's maps ever since I was a small child. '' Frodo answered, tracing a finger on the cracks in the wooden table. ''If we were to follow the road that goes East, I'm sure we will be able to find our way there.''

'' It's really not that simple, Frodo. Gandalf told us to stay off the road, remember, and the danger that lies in your planning is that we might get caught by the Black Riders.'' Sakura answered with a sigh.'' Then again, what else are we supposed to do other than take that kind of risk? I mean, we can't stay in Bree forever. ''

All three of them fell silent. Sam pushed away his mug of beer. He looked suddenly ill, and Sakura could guess why. She, too, felt her stomach churn from the knowledge that they may have to risk exposure to the Black Riders by traveling on the road.

'

' Don't worry, Sam. He will be here. He will come.'' Frodo whispered, trying to talk reassuringly but failed at it miserably. He then froze as he almost sensed someone's eyes bore into his back. '' Sakura, I don't know if I'm loosing my mind or something, but would you look behind me and see if someone's staring at us?''

Sakura slowly turned her head to look, and saw a strange looking, weather- beaten man sitting in the shadows near the wall. He had a tall tankard in front of him and was smoking a long- stemmed pipe.

He also had a travel- stained cloak of heavy dark-green fabric drawn over his shoulders, and although the room was hot, he wore a hood that overshadowed his eyes.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she stared at the strange man suspiciously. Turning back to Sam and Frodo, she was about to tell Frodo of the man, when Merry came running to the table with a pint of beer.

Pippin soon joined them from the other side of the room.'' What's that?'' he asked, squinting slightly as he pointed at the pint of beer on the table in front of Merry.

He sounded a little drunk, much to the annoyance of Sakura.

'' This, my friend, is a pint.'' Merry answered, smirking as he noticed that Pippin wasn't very sober.

'' It comes in pints? '' Pippin gasped, eyes widening in drunken shock.

Sakura, Sam and Frodo all face-faulted on the table. There was a pint in Pippin's hand and he wasn't even aware of it.

Merry just grunted with a mouth full of beer.

Pippin stood up from the table. '' I'm getting one!'' he announced, excited.

'' You've had enough already, Pippin!'' Sam admonished between clenched teeth. His words didn't phase the younger hobbit who slipped away from the table to fetch his drink before either Sam or Sakura could grab him by the collar.

Sam buried his face in his arms, Frodo groaned, and Sakura banged her forehead on the table several times which earned several bewildered glances from the other guests in the pub.

Merry just laughed into his half empty pint of beer.

'' That hobbit is going to be the death of me!'' Sakura moaned out as she finally calmed down somewhat.

'' He will be the death of us all, Sakura. Not just you!'' Sam grumbled, grabbing his own mug of ale and swallowing a big mouthful.

Frodo just shook his head in exasperation. '' Let's just forget about our foolish friend for a moment and get back to the subject we spoke of before the interruption. Sakura, has someone been staring at us the whole time we've sat on this table together long?''

'' I noticed a strange man with a hood over his head. '' Sakura answered grimly. '' If you ask me, it's quite suspicious that he would wear a cloak when it's so hot in this room.''

Frodo just nodded. He looked to be lost in thought, but when Mr. Butterbur was about to walk passed them with a few jugs of ale and two platters of bread, the dark haired hobbit leaned forward and tapped the man's arm to get his attention."Excuse me, Mr Butterbur. I'd like to know the name of that man sitting in the corner.''

"Well…" answered the surprised Innkeeper," he is one of the wandering folk. Rangers, we call them. What his name is I've never heard, but around Bree, he is known as Strider."

'' Strider. '' Frodo repeated softly, as Mr Butterbur was called elsewhere. He turned to look at the stranger and was shocked to see him beckoning to come over to his table.

He was going to stand up when Sakura lowered a stopping hand on his shoulder.'' I will go and see what he wants from you. You stay here, Frodo.'' she whispered in the hobbit's ear.

Frodo nodded and flopped down on the chair as Sakura stood up and walked cautiously over to Strider's table in the very corner of the pub.

As she sat down on a chair on the opposite side of the table, the tall man threw back his hood.

Sakura found herself staring at a pair of keen, gray eyes. His dark brown shoulder-length hair looked like it hadn't been washed in ages and was flecked with gray strands.

'' I see that you are being cautious, young lady.'' he said, speaking in a low voice.'' You stopped Mister Underhill from coming to meet me and came over yourself. ''

'' It pays to be cautious around people you have never met before, and even those who you know and trust. That's what I was told by one of my friends.'' Sakura answered stiffly, sliding a kunai under the table to be pointed towards the man's stomach.

She was doing it encase the man tried to attack her, though she really doubted he would do it when there were so many people in the Inn. '' Now, what do you want with us?''

'' If I were you, I'd stop your young hobbit friend from drinking too much. '' Strider answered with a wry smile. '' Unless you want him to spill out too much about the dangerous trinket your friend Mr Baggins is carrying with him.''

Sakura's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing in fear and shock. She pressed the kunai forward until the tip pressed against the man's stomach. '' How did you know? '' She hissed. '' Tell me NOW!''

'' This is not the right place to talk. '' Strider spoke grimly, suddenly turning to look at something behind the female ninja.

Sakura turned and gasped as she noticed Frodo holding the ring in his hands. His eyes were closed and he looked to be in some kind of trance. Withdrawing her kunai, the kunoichi slipped it in her holster and stood up to quickly to shake Frodo from his trance when…

'' BAGGINS? Sure I know a Baggins!'' Pippin's drunken voice was heard over the babble in the crowded pub. '' He is sitting over there and his name is Frodo Baggins. He is my second cousin, once removed from his mother's side. And… ''

'' Pippin, it's time you shut your mouth and go upstairs. '' Sakura's silky, but dangerous voice was suddenly heard behind the young Took, which made the storyteller jump. '' You've had too much alcohol already and I don't want to see you passing out in the pub from over drinking. ''

She turned to address the watching crowd.'' My friend has had too much to drink tonight. I will have one of my companions take him back to our rooms. Excuse me.''

She grabbed the blabbering hobbit by the collar of his shirt and forced the half empty pint of ale from Pippin's hand and slammed it down on the counter. She then dragged him off the chair and half carried him to the table where Sam and Merry were staring at her with wide eyes.

Frodo looked like he had been on the verge of standing up to stop Pippin from spilling out their secret.

'' Merry, would you be so kind as to take this idiot back to our room? '' Sakura asked with a sigh.

The young Brandybuck nodded, still looking rather dazed. The kunoichi shoved the struggling Took over to Merry and watched them walk out the pub door, one trying to escape and the other keeping him from escaping, before slumping down in a chair next to Frodo.

'' Now that was too close for comfort.'' Sam breathed out, looking relieved. '' If Pippin had come to the part about Bilbo disappearing into thin air on his birthday… ''

He trailed of, shuddering.

'' Actually, our situation went from bad to worse the moment I had the little talk with Strider over there.'' Sakura mumbled, gesturing towards the table where the Ranger was smoking his pipe. ''He knows too much about us and that really is disconcerting. I have a feeling that sooner or later he's going to ask to have a little talk with you, Frodo. ''

Frodo looked suddenly startled and was about to open his mouth to speak, but was cut off when they were suddenly surrounded by a large crowd wanting to hear a story or a song from them.

They were very insistent because they had all been debriefed from a very interesting tale told by Peregrin Took.

Sam, Frodo, and Sakura just sat there, flustered and wondering what they were supposed to do in such a tight and disconcerting situation.

In desperation, Frodo scrambled up to stand on his chair and started singing a rather ridiculous song he had learned from Bilbo who had made up the song himself.

There is an inn, a merry old inn

Beneath an old gray hill

And there they brew beer so brown

That the man in the moon himself came down

One night to drink his fill.

The ostler has a tipsy cat

That plays a five- stringed fiddle;

And up and down he runs his bow,

Now squeaking high, now purring low,

Now sawing in the middle.

The landlord keeps a little dog

That is mighty fond of jokes;

When there's good cheer among the guests,

He cocks an ear at all the jests

And laughs until he chokes.

They also keep a horned cow

As proud as any queen:

But music turns her head like ale,

And makes her wave her tufted tail

And dance upon the green

By the time Sakura had heard the fourth verse of the song, she was hopelessly sprawled on the table, laughing.

Sam had his head buried in his arms and his wide shoulders were shaking with mirth.

The crowd around them were listening silently and with rapt attention to every word of the song.

And O! The rows of silver dishes

and the store of silver spoons!

For Sunday there's a special pair,

And these they polish up with care

on Saturday afternoons.

The man in the Moon was drinking deep,

and the cat began to wail;

A dish and a spoon on the table danced,

The cow in the garden madly pranced,

and the little dog chased his tail.

The man in the Moon took another mug,

and then rolled beneath his chair;

And there he dozed and dreamed of ale,

till in the sky the stars were pale,

and dawn was in the air.

'' Di- did Bilbo really come up with this song, Sam?'' Sakura asked between giggles.

'' He did. He sang it to me sometimes when I was visiting Bag End. '' Sam whispered back, resting his chin on top of his arms. He was peeking up at the pink haired kunoichi, his eyes dancing with amusement.

Then the ostler said to his tipsy cat:

''The white horses of the moon,

They neigh and champ their silver bits;

But their master's been and drowned his wits,

And the sun'll be rising soon.

So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle- diddle

a jig that would wake the dead;

He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune,

while the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:

'' It's after three!'' he said.

They rolled the man slowly up the hill

and bundled him into the moon,

while his horses galloped up in rear,

and the cow came capering like a deer

and a dish ran up with the spoon.

Now quicker the fiddle went deedle- dum- diddle;

the dog began to roar,

the cow and the horses stood on their heads;

the guests all bounded from their beds

and danced upon the floor.

With a ping and a pong the fiddle- strings broke!

The cow jumped over the moon,

and the little dog laughed to see such fun,

And the Saturday dish went off at a run

with the Silver Sunday spoon.

The round moon rolled behind the hill

as the Sun raised up her head.

She hardly believed her fiery eyes;

for though it was a day, to her surprise

when they all went back to bed!

When the song finally ended, Frodo was given a torrent of loud, appreciating round of applause from those who had been listening. The poor hobbit just stood on the chair, looking flustered and embarrassed by all the attention he was given.

He paled, when someone in the crowd shouted: ''Let's have it again, master! Come on now! Sing us the song once more!''

'' Uhhh… no, no! I think it's time my companions and I went to bed! '' Frodo stuttered nervously. He was about to jump off the chair when the people crowded in front of him again, practically pleading for him to sing the song one more.

'

Frodo leaned closer to Sakura and Sam, and whispered: '' Help me with this, please. I know Sam can sing pretty well and your voice isn't that bad, Sakura.''

Both Sam and Sakura suddenly looked like deers in the headlights, but in the end they decided to help out the desperate looking Baggins. After all, best friends were supposed to help each other when one was in trouble.

The three of them were given a tankard of ale each and then were told to sing the song. Many of the listeners joined in the singing.

The Bree- hobbits were especially good at picking the words quickly. And the tune that was used was pretty well known, even in Bree.

For a while, even Sakura forgot about their worries. She, Frodo and Sam climbed up on the sturdy table and danced whilst singing.

But when they came to the part where the cow jumped over the moon, Frodo leaped into the air, but did it much too vigorously. He came down on the edge of the table right on top of a tray full of his, Sam's and Sakura's ale- mugs.

The table tipped sideways, sending Frodo and Sam crashing to the floor with ''ooffs'' of pain. Sakura found herself in the arms of one of the men from Bree.

The Bree folk opened their mouths to laugh heartily at the performance, but became very, very quiet when they noticed that their dark haired hobbit- singer had just suddenly disappeared into thin air.

Sakura, whom was still being held in the man's arms, slapped a hand over her mouth in utter dismay. She then suddenly realized where she was and demanded the man to release her.

When the slightly drunken man gazed at her and wouldn't let her down quickly enough, the kunoichi slapped him sharply on the cheek which made him drop her swiftly with an aggravated curse.

Most of the company that had surrounded the two hobbits and the young woman drew away with looks of amazement, shock and even slight fear. It looked like Frodo's sudden disappearance had made them think they were traveling magicians with unknown powers and purpose.

For Sam it went unnoticed, but Sakura saw a swarthy Bree-lander slipping out the door, followed by a squint-eyed southerner. It wouldn't have looked so suspicious, if they hadn't been listening earlier to the drunken words spoken by their traveling companion Peregrin Took, who had told everyone in the room he knew someone called Baggins.

As for what had happened to Frodo, he had crawled away under the table and found himself in the dark corner where Strider was still pulled off the ring, his thoughts still on what he had seen in the dream world he had been in. He had stared right into the lidless, red eye of Sauron. The words spoken to him had been: '' You can not hide. I see you. There is no life in the void. Only death awaits you there!''

Frodo felt his heart beat wildly in his chest as he leaned his back against the wall. '' I'm sure I was fingering the ring as I sang, but why did I do it? Was it just out of nervousness, or was it some unseen force that made me do it? Sweat was sliding down his face to drip on the wooden floor.

'' Well?'' Strider spoke up suddenly, which made the hobbit jump and turn to face the ranger. '' Why did you put on the ring when you fell off the table?

'' What do you mean by why did I put on the ring?'' Frodo asked, looking very alarmed. '' I don't know what you are talking about!''

'' Oh, yes you do, Mr Baggins!'' Strider said grimly, leaning closer to look straight into the hobbit's eyes. '' I already told your lady friend that I'm aware of what you are carrying with you!''

Frodo paled

'' But, I hold no danger to you, Frodo. All I want is to talk to you somewhere private as soon as the uproar here has died down a little. ''

'' What is it that you want to talk to me about? '' Frodo asked suspiciously as he glared up at the man.

'' A matter of great importance, Frodo!'' Strider answered shortly.

'' What makes you think I would talk to you alone? '' Frodo asked distrustfully, standing up from the floor.

'' If you wish to talk in your room with all your friends present, then so be it. But this matter needs to be solved nevertheless.''

'

' Very well, Mr Strider.'' Frodo answered as calmly as he could. He walked off to where Mr Butterbur, Sakura and Sam were standing in the middle of a large crowd gathered near the fireplace.

Mr Butterbur was trying to assure them that their explanation that Mr Underhill had mysteriously disappeared into thin air a fluke. He was also trying to assure them that there had to be a more reasonable explanation to what had occurred.

'' Honestly,'' Mr Butterbur sighed, shaking his head, '' why can't you people just forget about what happened? How would someone just be able to disappear into thin air; Or into thick air, as is more likely in this room?''

'' Well, where is he now?'' several voices cried out.

'' How should I know that, pray tell?'' Mr Butterbur snapped, looking rather irritated.

'' Why don't you ask those who travel with Mr Underhill since it's pretty obvious that Mr. Samwise and Ms. Sakura haven't vanished, or have they?''

'' Well I say something very fishy happened in this Inn. '' said a hobbit named Mr Mugworth. '' I'm very sure I saw Mr Underhill vanish when he fell to the ground.''

'' And I say there's some mistake!'' Mr Butterbur repeated, exasperated. He stooped down to pick up all the broken crockery and the tray.

'' Of course there is a mistake!'' Frodo cried out, coming forward into the light. '' I've just been having a few words with Strider in that corner.''

He gestured towards the table the man was sitting calmly and emotionless.

The ranger had lowered his hood over his eyes again.

The crowd took one look at Strider and became more perturbed than before. They crowded over to demand answers for what they had witnessed the hobbit do in front of their eyes.

Poor Frodo tried to answer as evasively as possible and was greatly relieved when the not at all satisfied people started leaving the Inn after hearing his made up answer.

One or two gave the hobbit a black look as they stalked off towards the doorway.

The man, who had become quite smitten with Sakura's exotic looks tried to grope at her butt but found himself flying out the door due to a chakra enhanced kick. He landed, yelling madly, into a huge barrel of water that someone had conveniently put outside in the street.

Several startled oaths from the street-spectators drifted into the Inn from the open door.

Frodo, Sam and Mister Butterbur face- faulted at the sight of the man being literally kicked out the door and almost fell backwards on the wooden floor anime- style.

As for the other quests staying in the Prancing Pony, this show of oddness was the last straw to the dwarves and the two or three men that still remained seated over one of the tables. They got up and bade good night to the landlord, but remained quiet when passing Frodo and his friends on their way towards the hall and their rooms.

Soon, the only ones remaining in the almost deserted pub were Frodo, Mr Butterbur, Sakura and Sam.

And of course, Strider, who was sitting unnoticed by the wall.

As Mr Butterbur turned to face Frodo, Sakura and Sam flopped down into nearby chairs.

'' What a mess. '' Sakura moaned so quietly that only Sam heard what she said.

'' First Pippin and then we had to make it worse by dancing on the table.'' Sam groaned, just as quietly. '' And you just had to kick that man out of the pub like that, Sakura! Everyone in this village will know of your abnormal strength by tomorrow!''

Frodo looked embarrassed and was blushing as he looked up at Barliman Butterbur who, despite having to watch so many of his customers leave his Inn, wasn't very put out about the situation. Unknown to the hobbits and the kunoichi, he reckoned that the Inn of the Prancing Pony would once again be filled with customers during the future nights.

'' Now, what have you been doing, Mr Underhill?'' The landlord asked solemnly. '' And same thing could be said of you, Ms. Sakura! First Mr Underhill goes and does his little disappearing act or whatever it was and then you go and kick out one of my frequent customers, Ms Sakura!''

Sakura's face turned as red as a tomato. '' Well, he did kind of try to grope me, Mr Butterbur!'' she answered weakly, trying to defend her actions.

Frodo muttered a sincere apology. '' I'm very sorry to have caused any trouble. It was quite unintentional, I assure you!''

'' Alright, Mr Underhill! But if you are going to do anymore tumbling, or conjuring, or whatever it was, you'd best to warn folk beforehand and me for that matter. And Ms Sakura, a simple slap to the face would more than suffice as a punishment to a groping man.''

Sakura's blush grew even darker, if it was even possible.

'' We shan't be doing anything like that again, Mr Butterbur, right, Sakura?'' Frodo answered, turning to the kunoichi who could only nod. '' And now I think I'll be going to bed. We shall be off early the next morning. Will you see that our ponies are ready by eight o'clock?

Sakura turned to face the hobbit with a questioning look on her face. Didn't they plan earlier that they would stay in Bree for a few days to wait for Gandalf?

'' I do not want to stay here in Bree now that there are so many suspicious Bree folk walking around. They'll probably try to force more answers from us if we stay here longer than tonight. We will travel down the road for a few days and find a place in the woods were we can wait for Gandalf for at least a half a day and then if he doesn't come, we will travel on towards Rivendell. That was our plan, wasn't it?'' Frodo whispered, leaning over top speak in the kunoichi's ear.

Sakura nodded her head, but her eyes showed worry. They would all be in a lot more danger once they left Bree, but Frodo was right about the matter concerning the suspicious Bree- folk.

'' Very well! But before you go, may I ask for meeting in your sleeping chambers before you go to bed? Something important just came to my mind that I ought to tell you!'' Mr Butterbur responded, fully aware that whatever Mr Underhill had whispered to lady Sakura wasn't of his concern, and so refrained from commenting on the whispering behind his back matter.

'' Certainly! '' said Frodo; but his heart sank. He wondered just how many private talks he would have to go through before he would be allowed to get some sleep, and what the talks would reveal.

When Frodo, Sam, and Sakura made their way to their parlor, they were met with the sight of Pippin crouching by the fireplace. He was trying to puff up the embers, since the fire had burned low during the time he, Naruto and Merry had been taking a nap.

A drowsy looking Naruto threw a few fagots into the fireplace. He and Merry were sitting on two of the comfortable chairs nearest to the fireplace.

'' Pippin, please explain to us why you got yourself drunk like that!'' Frodo said sternly, putting both his hands on his hips.

'' I- I suppose I was just s-so frustrated and scared about every set back we've had on this journey. '' Pippin sighed, rubbing his head in slight agitation due to the alcohol enhanced, dull ache in his skull. '' The further we've moved from our home, the more dangers we've experienced and I've begun to wonder if all of us who are linked to this mission involving tha- that ring will survive in the end.''

'' Pippin.'' Frodo said quietly. His eyes showed deep regret for not having continued fighting against Pippin's and Merry's decision to accompany him, Sam, Naruto and Sakura in Crickhollow.

'' When I thought of my friends dying, '' Pippin continued with a small gulp, '' I… snapped. I needed to drown my morbid thoughts by drinking.''

'' And doing that you've created us tons of trouble, Mr Took!'' Sakura spoke up, speaking with a sharp undertone. Pippin flinched at her words and pulled his knees up to his chin.

Naruto frowned at Sakura as she walked over to Pippin and crouched down to his eye- level. '' As if you, Frodo and Sam hadn't brought trouble of your own by dancing on a table singing.'' he thought inwardly. '' And then you just had to kick that man into the barrel outside, Sakura-chan.''

'' I know I messed things up. '' Pippin whispered sadly. '' I already received the tongue- lashing from Merry.''

Sakura felt her heart melt, as she looked into the hobbit's brown eyes that were brimming with tears. She was about to lower a hand on Pippin's shoulder when he suddenly flinched away from her touch.

The kunoichi froze with her hand still stretched out towards the spot where Pippin had been sitting a moment ago. She was confused by his reaction.

'' I- I can understand if you want me to stay behind. '' Pippin whispered. '' But… I really want to help Frodo.''

'' Pippin.'' Sakura spoke up but fell silent as Naruto's hand suddenly squeezed her shoulder.

'' Sakura, be gentle with him. '' Naruto whispered in her ear. The woman squashed the urge to rub her ear as Naruto's breath tickled slightly. '' He doesn't live in Westfarthing and isn't very used to your fiery attitude and short fuse. This isn't the first time you've scared the shit out of him, either.''

'' Short fuse? Naruto you… !'' Sakura snapped but fell silent as his boyfriend forcefully turned her head to look at the young Took.

'' Just focus on Pippin, not me!'' Naruto said sternly.

'' He is right you know.'' Inner Sakura spoke up suddenly. '' You remember that incident in Farmer Maggots cornfield? You lost your temper big time. You may not have noticed it in your anger but Naruto saw that Pippin was scared. Marry too, at least a little.''

'' I guess I have overreacted in some situations quite needlessly. '' Sakura sighed in answer to her inner voice's admonishing. '' I just hope he doesn't start acting strange around me. I don't want to leave him behind. He is brave to want to stick with Frodo.''

Slowly, the kunoichi moved over to Pippin and pulled him into a friendly hug. The hobbit jumped and attempted to pull free, when Sakura's words halted him.

'' Pippin, I'm sorry that I lost my temper at you again. Please, don't be scared of me.'' Sakura sighed pleadingly. She felt relief flow through her when Pippin relaxed in her grip and hugged her back.

'' I'm sorry for acting so childishly in the pub.'' Pippin murmured against her shoulder before pulling back and looking into the kunoichi's green eyes with a sad smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

'' You weren't the only one acting childishly in the pub, Pippin.''' Naruto spoke out, barely hiding his amusement. '' Believe it or not, Sakura actually danced on a table with Frodo and Sam. They were singing that song Bilbo had made up himself. You know, the '' Hey diddle, diddle?''

'' WHAT, YOUR SERIOUS?'' Pippin exclaimed before collapsing on the floor laughing.

Merry was trying in vain to keep himself from bursting in laughter himself.

'' Yeah, they did.'' Naruto answered. He was about ready to laugh out loud himself. '' And one of the men dared to grope at Sakura's butt in the pub. I can imagine how shocked he was at being literally kicked out of the building and into the outside barrel.''

'' YOU SAW ALL THAT, NARUTO?'' Sakura exclaimed loudly as Merry fell off his chair, clutching his stomach in slight pain from laughing so hard. '' SINCE WHEN DID YOU COME THERE? I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU'D COME BURSTING INTO THE ROOM AS SOON AS I WAS HARRASED BY THAT MAN!''

'' I wasn't exactly in the room. '' Naruto answered, chuckling. '' I was standing out in the hall. I came to stand in the hall during the time when the villagers were asking for answers to Frodo's little disappearing act. And as for coming to pound the man harassing you, I was sure that you would do something drastic with him so I wasn't needed to do that job.''

'' It would have been better if you had come to interfere when the man groped your girlfriend, Naruto!'' Frodo spoke up calmly, but loudly enough to be heard by everyone. His words ceased the laughter in the room. '' In a way, that it would have saved us from that moment of tongue- lashing with Mr Butterbur. ''

'' You are right about that, Frodo Baggins, but it would have done you all good to have stayed in your room from the start and not come to the pub at all!''

Everyone in the room jumped and swirled around to see Strider sitting unnoticed on a chair close to the door.

'' Who- who are you? '' Pippin asked, looking startled to see the tall man. '' And what do you want from us?''

'' I am called Strider, '' he answered. '' And though Mr Baggins apparently has forgotten, he promised to have a talk with me with all of you present.''

'' Ah, so now the man decides to talk!'' Sakura snapped, climbing to her feet in an instant. '' Please, enlighten us to why in the seven hells you know that our friends real surname isn't Underhill and how you know about what he is carrying!''

'

' Ah, but all the information I'm going to give you will come at a price. ''

'' What do you mean?'' Frodo and Sakura chorused at the same time.

'' Don't be alarmed! I will tell you what I know and offer you some good advice, but I shall need a reward from it.''

'' And how much would you need, Mr Ranger? '' Sakura said calmly, but in the inside she was wondering whether the man was a thief or a madman or someone they could take advice from without having to pay a price of death. She new very well, that neither of them were carrying a lot of money with them and she had a feeling, that the man would probably want a lot more than they had.

'' No more than you can afford. '' Strider answered with a slow smile. '' I want you to take me in as an additional companion until I decide on my own when it's time for me to leave your company.''

Sakura, Frodo, Naruto, Sam, Merry and Pippin all shared a completely stupefied glance with each other. None of them had even thought of such an answer they'd been given by the man.

'' Oh, indeed. '' Frodo replied slowly. Though he was surprised, he wasn't at all relieved. '' Even if we wanted an extra companion, we sure are not going to accept anyone before knowing a great deal about the person and his business.''

'' Excellent!'' Strider exclaimed.

Sakura frowned as the man sat back comfortably on the chair and crossed his legs.

'' You seem to be coming to your senses, Mr Baggins. '' the ranger continued.''You have been very careless so far so I'm glad to see that being improved. Very well, I shall now tell you what I know and leave the rewarding to you and your companions.

'' Then, will you please go on with the explaining and cease stalling!'' Naruto answered with vexed expression on his face from his spot near the armchair he had been sitting on some time ago. He was now standing up while leaning against the chair to keep his balance. For some reason his knees were feeling weak.

'' I know too much; too many dark things,'' Strider said grimly,'' but as for you business…'' He got up and walked to the door, opened it quickly and looked out. Then he shut it quietly and sat down again. '' I have quick ears. '' he went on, lowering his voice. '' And though I cannot disappear, I have hunted many wild and wary things and I can usually avoid being seen if I wish. I was behind the hedge this evening on the road west of Bree, when four hobbits and two humans came out of the Downloads. I don't think I need to repeat all that they said to Tom Bombadil or to each other, but one thing interested me.''

As Strider paused for a moment, Sakura and Naruto tensed slightly.

Sam sat by the fire, scared but listening intently. Pippin looked confused and tense and Merry sat on his chair with a less confused look on his face having heard Sakura, Frodo and Sam talking about a strange man in the pub.

But he was startled at how unnoticeable the man had been as he quietly followed them all to their room. Not even their two ninja friends had noticed him entering their parlor.

'' Please remember, said one of them, that the name Baggins must not be mentioned. I am Mister Underhill, if any name must be given.'' Strider continued. '' That interested me so much that I followed them here. I slipped over the gate just behind them. '' He grinned before continuing. '' I shall advise Mr Baggins and his friends to be more careful, since he seems to have an honest reason for leaving his name behind.''

'' I don't see what interest my name has for anyone in Bree, '' Frodo said rather angrily. '' And why would it interest you, Strider? You may have an honest reason for spying and eavesdropping, and I'd very much like to hear it!''

'' Well answered!'' Strider said laughing, '' But the explanation is simple. I was looking for a hobbit called Frodo Baggins. I wanted to find him quickly because I had learned that he was carrying a secret outside the Shire that concerned me and my friends. Oy, now don't mistake me now!'' he cried out a little too late as several kunai were thrown in his direction, by the courtesy of Samwise Gamgi.

The ranger showed amazing agility as he stood up on the chair in a flash and vaulted backwards over the chair. The kunai struck the chair's headboard.

Sakura was quite surprised at the hobbit's good aim with the small blades. Yes, she knew Naruto had been teaching Frodo and Sam the art of using ninja weapons, but had never thought of asking them to show her how good they really were.

Naruto had his mouth open in shock; mainly, because Sam had the guts to attack the man.

The hobbit was standing in the middle of the room in a position in which it would be easy for him to send the three remaining kunai held between the fingers of his left hand flying towards the ranger.

'' IF YOU TRY TO TAKE THE RING FROM FRODO, I'LL…!'' Sam started, but was cut off when Strider moved too quickly for him to react.

He yelped as the man struck him on the hand with the flat of his sword- blade and caught the kunai dropping from the hobbit's suddenly slackened fingers.

Letting out an indignant shriek, Sakura pulled out her own kunai from its holster and lunged at the man from behind. She was pretty sure Naruto would attack from the front if she failed to injure the man.

Unfortunately, the kunoichi hadn't even thought that Strider knew unarmed combat and so she found herself being struck in the chin by a powerful backwards kick by the ranger.

Wincing from the pounding pain in her jaw, Sakura crouched down, took balance with her left hand and dug her hand in her back pouch. Grabbing a few shuriken, she then threw them towards the man. She cursed, when the ranger twirled around in one smooth move and deflected the shuriken with his sword.

'' GAH! '' the man then cried out as a kunai struck him on the left shoulder.

'' Naruto! '' Sakura thought. She was relieved to see that her boyfriend's aim had been true. She watched with baited breath as the blond moved to injure Strider enough that he wouldn't be able to fight back. But again, they had underestimated their opponent.

'' Gnnhh! '' Naruto grunted as Strider's left foot crashed against his already injured shoulder. His right foot connected with the Kyuubi container's sternum.

The pain was enough to stun the blond for several moments which gave the older man enough time to think of a plan to stop the unneeded fight before the hobbits were to get hurt.

Sakura watched, stunned, as Strider jumped to his feet and sent Naruto crashing to the floor with a strong elbow blow to the face. He then maneuvered himself on top of the blond with his left knee digging painfully into the younger man's spine.

Naruto gasped in pain and tried to wriggle free, but Strider was very strong and much more heavily built then him. He cried out as the Ranger twisted his hand behind his back so hard he almost dislocated his shoulder and pressed the tip of a small dagger against his neck.

'' Now, lets all just calm down, shall we?'' Strider spoke out between clenched teeth. He sent a withering glance in Sakura's direction, as if daring her to move to attack him now.

He then sent a warning look in the direction of the hobbits who cringed and stayed where they'd hid behind armchairs when Naruto and Sakura started fighting the ranger.

The room was very small, and they'd known that getting hit by stray weapons was very likely.

Sakura clenched her teeth, but stayed motionless. The last time someone from her team had been held at weapon point in this fashion had been the day of the Bell- test. A day after she, Naruto and Sasuke had graduated from the ninja- school.

Their sensei, Hatake Kakashi had punished Sasuke for acting on impulse, having heard the silver haired man tell them that they didn't have the quality to become worthy Genin. But this wasn't a test. The man crouched on the floor on top of her boyfriend wasn't Hatake Kakashi.

The man was a ranger, a man who said he had hunted and killed before. And if the earlier fight hadn't been any indication of how skilled he was, then Sakura had no idea what would.

'' Really now… '' the man went on''… do you find me so threatening that you would attack me like this every time I speak words that sound even slightly out of sorts?''

'' We were just… testing you.'' Sakura mumbled, standing up from the floor. She was rubbing at her bruising jaw.

'' Testing me, eh?'' Strider mumbled, shooting daggers at the pink- haired woman.

Naruto cursed under his breath at his woman's stupid words and would have slapped himself if his hands had been free.

Sakura grimaced at the look of seething anger on the man's face, as Strider reached backwards to feel the kunai buried deep in his shoulder. She gasped and jolted slightly as the ranger proceeded to pull the weapon out of his skin.

The sound of the weapon being pulled out of flesh and the amount of blood that poured out of the wound was enough to make the hobbits nearly gag.

'' You may say that you were only testing me, '' Strider said vehemently, brandishing the bloodied kunai in the direction of Sakura, '' but in truth, you wanted to injure me to the point where I wouldn't be able to fight back. Am I right?''

'' Yes!'' Sakura mumbled.

'' I thought so. And it's also clear to me that you and your boyfriend failed to realize, that I wasn't the one to start this unnecessary fight.'' Strider said darkly. '' It was this quite stout- hearted hobbit with the name of Samwise Gamgee.''

He gestured in the direction where the blond haired, chubby hobbit was hiding behind a chair.

'' But then, why did you hit Sam with the flat- side of your sword?'' Naruto asked from his position on the floor.

'' I wanted to see just how prone you and your lady friend are to attacking me. '' Strider answered grimly. '' That's why I took Mr Samwise's weapons in that manner. But I never meant to hurt the hobbit seriously. Although… ''he glared in the direction of where Sakura was standing… '' I would bet on anything that the woman holding that small dagger,or whatever it was, against my stomach in the pub would not have had the same thoughts as me.''

'' Please, CAN we just continue our conversation without anymore fighting? '' Frodo suddenly exclaimed loudly, stepping out behind the chair. He looked scared, but there was a hint of bravery in his eyes.

'' I agree, as long as these two hot-headed humans hold to that promise as well!'' Strider answered blandly, standing up and backing warily away from Naruto whom cursed quietly as he stumbled to his feet.

Frodo sighed and shook his in exasperation as Strider, Sakura and Naruto traded looks of death towards each other.

Some time later…

'' I ought to have guessed that Black Riders have passed through here at some point!'' Frodo exclaimed, once Strider had told him and the others about such an incident happening in Bree and Greenway.'' I ought to have seen it from the way the gatekeeper greeted us!''

'' Does this also mean that Mr Butterbur knows something about our quest? '' Merry wondered, leaning his chin on his thighs as he sat on one of the armchairs.

'' Well, he did press us to join the company in the pub.'' Frodo answered, looking at the crackling flames in the fireplace. '' We ought to have stayed in here, because then we wouldn't have drawn so much attention to ourselves.''

'' It certainly would have been better if you'd stayed in this room!'' Strider said. '' I would have stopped you all from going into the pub in the common- room if I could have done so, but the innkeeper would not let me in to see you or take a message.''

'' Do you think mister Butterbur actually is a traitor?'' Sakura asked. She looked shocked at the thought of the kind innkeeper being in league with someone as evil as the Black Riders.

'' No, I don't think any harm from old Butterbur; or that he knows about the ring. '' Strider answered, shaking his head. '' It's just that he doesn't altogether like or trust mysterious vagabonds of my sort.''

'' Mysterious vagabonds indeed.'' Naruto spoke up. He was rubbing the shoulder that had been slashed by the Black Rider. '' A mysterious person, who can really fight. Where did you get such wicked reflexes?''

'' That's hardly in the subject were discussing, Mr Naruto. '' Strider answered, but there was an amused look in his eyes. '' Perhaps I'll tell you later when we leave Bree and head down the road. That is, if you are all willing to let me come along.''

'' Do you think those riders, that are following us, will return?'' Frodo cut in. '' For now they seem to have missed me and have gone away.''

'' You must not count on that, Frodo,'' Strider answered darkly, turning to look at the dark haired hobbit. ''for their sure to return. There are more of them than you have already seen. I'm telling you this because I know about these riders.''

He paused, and his eyes turned cold and hard as he stared at the burning logs in the fireplace.'' And there are some folk in Bree who are not to be trusted. Bill Ferny for example, has an evil name in Bree- land, and queer folk call at his house. You must have noticed him among the company. He was the swarthy, sneering fellow.''

Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry and Sakura nodded.

'' Now that you mention it, I remember seeing Bill Ferny slip out the door with another man with a constant sneer on his face.'' Sakura exclaimed, slapping her left fist against her right palm.

'' Indeed, '' Strider said darkly. '' The man is a southerner, and he is very good friends with Bill Ferny. Not all of those southerners mean well, and as for Bill Ferny, he would sell anything to anybody; or make mischief for amusement. For example, the account of your performance would be interesting to certain people. It seems only too likely, that the riders will not even need to hear your real name be told to realize you are the one their looking for.''

'' But how do we know we can trust you?'' Sam broke in. He had a frown on his face'' You tell us to take care for which I agree. And yes, you know something alright, but that's no reason to let you lead us all into some dark place where no one can help us.''

'' The lesson in caution has been well learned,'' Strider said with a grim smile. '' But caution is one thing, but wavering is another. You will never get to Rivendell now on your own, but I know the lands between the Shire and the Misty Mountains. I have wandered over them for many years.''

He paused to look at the others in the room and sighed as he saw the uncomfortable expression on Frodo's, Pippin's, Merry's and Sam's faces and the look of still noticeable distrust on the faces of Naruto and Sakura.

'' Listen,'' he sighed. '' I'm much older than I look. You may escape from Bree, and be allowed to go forward while the sun is up, but you won't go far. The Riders will come at you in the wild, in some dark place where there is no help. Do you wish for them to find you? Their terrible!''

Naruto and Sakura winced in unison as they remembered just how much power they'd sensed coming from the creatures, when they'd seen the riders for the first time on their way to Buckland.

Sakura then turned to stare straight into Strider's dark gray eyes. To her surprise, she noticed that his eyes indeed showed wisdom that only comes from living great many a decade.

He really was older than he looked. The Ranger might have even been older than her Shishou and the Toad Hermit Jiraiya, though he looked only in his thirties.

His face was drawn as if in pain, and the man's hands clenched the arms of his chair.

The room had become very quiet and still.

Strider sighed as he looked up at the six friends. '' Now, perhaps I know more about these pursuers than you do. Tomorrow you will have to escape if you can. Strider can take you by paths that are seldom trodden. Will you have him as your guide?''

There was heavy silence for a long moment following these words.

Frodo made no answer; his mind was jumbled with doubt and fear. Sam was frowning, Merry and Pippin were deep in thought and Naruto, who was leaning against the headboard of one of the armchairs, was starting to see the same thing as his girlfriend had already noticed.

He opened his mouth to ask Strider more about the Black Riders they'd come face to face with and how he knew about them, when a sudden bought of nausea and dizziness had him stumble backwards to the edge of the nearest armchair.

The blond ninja slumped down on the armchair with a weak groan. His eyes closed and his teeth gritted together to keep back the cry of agony that was about to issue from his mouth; his hand gripped at his injured shoulder.

The kunai he had been fingering in his hands fell on the carpeted floor with a metallic clatter.

'' Naruto!'' Sakura exclaimed in shock, hurrying over from where she had been sitting to kneel in front of her injured boyfriend.

Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin crowded around the two ninjas with worried expressions etched on their faces.

Sakura's hands shook as she gently unwound the bandages tied around Naruto's waist and shoulder. She was confused to see that the wound was barely visible except for a thin white line, but when she touched his shoulder, she was shocked to feel the coldness seeping from the others skin. Closing her eyes, she brought up her healing powers.

Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin all watched with baited breath as Sakura's hands began glowing with greenish- blue light that slowly seeped inside Naruto's skin. Even Strider leaned forward to watch with interest. Unfortunately, some minutes later, The young woman started panting with effort and the glow coming from her hands slowly disappeared.

'' Damn it!'' Sakura cursed weakly as she looked at her now unconscious blond haired boyfriend and pounded on the chair hard with her fist. '' Why can't I bring out any more of my potential in healing? Why do Naruto and I have to be so crippled of our abilities in Middle Earth? ''

'' At least you tried!''

Sakura jumped, startled, as she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. She slowly turned her head to see Strider standing behind her with a solemn look on his face.

The hobbits looked startled at seeing the tall man so close to them, but did nothing as the Ranger touched the thin, white line on Naruto's shoulder with his fingers.

'' How did he get a wound like this?'' Strider asked, frowning as he felt the coldness of the boy's skin contrast shockingly with his warmer hand.

Sakura hesitated for a moment, but then told Strider what had happened on their way to Crickhollow.

The Ranger looked very startled when the kunoichi mentioned the Black Riders.

'' So he was slashed. '' he said quietly, turning to glance at Naruto who had been helped into a more comfortable position on the chair by Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry. '' You should have told me about your lover's situation earlier. Your situation has become disastrous the moment he had gotten hurt.''

'' What do you mean? '' Sakura asked frantically.

Strider grunted as the small, but strong woman stood up and grabbed him by the front of his jacket; very tightly. The man was about to answer her frantic question, when a knock was heard coming from the door.

Sakura let go of the man's jacket and walked hesitantly towards the dark, wooden door.

'' Who is it? '' she called, pressing her left ear against the smooth surface of the wooden door.

'' It's Mr Butterbur. I've come carrying candles and warm water!'' a familiar voice was heard from behind the door.

Sakura turned to look at Frodo who nodded. Apparently he hadn't forgotten about his promise to speak with the Landlord that owned the '' Prancing Pony''.

The kunoichi nodded to the hobbit and put her hand on the ornamental doorknob, and turned it.

There stood the old, kind Mr Butterbur with his short hobbit servant standing by his side carrying several large cans of water. The landlord carried several candles.

Sakura stepped to the side and said:'' Good evening, Mr Butterbur. You may enter. '' She then quickly closed the door behind them once they'd entered the small room.

'' Its like this, gentlemen… lady,'' the round faced innkeeper said as soon as Nob, the hobbit servant, had left the room after putting the cans of water on the table in the hobbit- sized bedroom. He was wringing his hands nervously.'' If I'd done any harm, I'm very ´sorry indeed, but I've been very busy with my business and I tend to forget things when there is much that needs my attention. But as I was saying I was given a description of a hobbit traveling from the Shireto our village. A hobbit that carries the name Frodo Baggins.''

'' I see, and what has all that got to do with me?'' Frodo asked calmly. At the moment he felt leery towards everyone whom wasn't apart of his company. Too much had happened since Bilbo had left him the strange golden ring.

'' Because you fit the description of a short, stout fellow with red cheeks..''

Pippin gave a giggle of amusement at these words and was awarded an unamused glance from the older hobbit. Merry had to bite his tongue to keep quiet as he noticed the affronted look on Frodo's face.

''… and with a fair face with a small cleft in the chin,'' Mr Butterbur finished solemnly.'' But begging your pardon, it was him who gave me the description , not myself.''

'' And who gave you the description?'' Frodo asked with a raised eyebrow, his voice reflecting interest.

'' Ah, it was the one whom you asked for earlier this evening,'' Butterbur answered, rubbing his chin.

Frodo immediately realized whom the innkeeper was mentioning to him. 'You have a letter from Gandalf?'' he exclaimed, and watched with shocked eyes as Mr Butterbur reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter with the wizards handwriting scrawled onto the surface of the parchment.

The letter was addressed thus: Mr Frodo Baggins, Bag End, Hobbiton in the Shire

'' I assume your name is Mr Baggins, then?'' Mr Butterbur spoke calmly as the dark haired hobbit snatched the parchment from his hands.

'' It is. '' Frodo spoke, looking a little upset. '' And you better give me a good explanation to why you had this letter in your pocket all this time. And why you told us that you haven't seen Gandalf in six months, because clearly he has been here since he gave you this letter?''

'' Your right, Mr Baggins, '' he said, '' and I beg your pardon. A lot of things were on my mind at the time and I simply… forgot that Gandalf had been here.''

'' How can you forget such an important letter?'' Sakura gasped from where she was standing.

'' Like I mentioned before, I am a very busy man, lady Sakura. '' Mr Butterbur answered gravely. '' I tend to forget one thing or another when in a hurry. Sometimes things get difficult when you are an Innkeeper, you see.''

He turned to face Frodo. '' But listen, there are Black men out there looking for Mr Baggins and if they mean well, I'm a hobbit. It was on Monday, when Nob came to tell me that there were two black men at the door asking for a hobbit called Mr Baggins. I immediately bid the black- fellows off because I didn't like their appearance, and slammed the door on them. But they have been asking the same question all the way to Archet, I hear. But when they finally left altogether, a new rule was made. And the rule goes thus: The Black men are not to be let inside the village, ever.''

Mr Butterbur stopped talking for a moment to catch his breath from having spoken so long without a stop. ''But that Ranger, Strider. He's been asking questions, too. Tried to get in here to see you before you'd had a bite of supper, he did.''

'' He did!'' Strider said suddenly, coming forward into the light with a frown etched onto his weather- worn face.'' And it would have saved us a lot of trouble, if you'd let me in.''

The landlord jumped a few feet into the air in surprise, which was quite a feat with him being so fat. '' You!'' he cried, after recomposing himself. '' Your always popping up from places. WHAT do you want?''

'' He is here on my leave,'' said Frodo calmly. '' He came to offer me his help.''

Mr Butterbur looked very suspicious of the Ranger, and would have voiced out his thoughts if he hadn't been distracted by the sudden sound of a door slamming. Then a moment later footsteps could be heard coming down the passage. The door to the hobbits' parlor swung open and Nob rushed inside the room with Bob the stall keeper following at his heels.

'' M- Mr Butterbur, '' Nob gasped, closing the door quickly and leaned his back on the door. He was very out of breath.

The others in the room looked alarmed as they stared at the terrified looking hobbit- servant. '' The black men! Their here! I saw them!'' Nob squeaked out.

'' Black Riders? '' Frodo cried, now looking very alarmed. ''Where?''

'' I saw them outside the South- gate. I was taking a stroll outside, when I decided for some odd reason to visit the gatekeeper. We were talking when we heard the sound of hooves coming down the road. The gatekeeper took a peak from the gate- windows and saw five of the black men there coming down the road on equally black horses. I immediately turned tail and came running to warn you about them.''

Strider exchanged a grave look with Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin and Sakura. He shook his head and lowered a hand on Nob's shoulder. '' You were brave to have come warn us about them, Nob. Your decision to have gone to talk with the gate- keeper may have saved the lives of your master's customers. But right now, we need a plan. You can't stay in this room tonight. The riders will come looking for you here, if they'd chosen to attack sometime in the night!''

'' So, what can we do in this situation, Strider? '' Sakura asked with slight hesitance. Merry, Pippin and Frodo looked ready to follow anything the Ranger ordered them to do. She and Sam on the other hand looked more hesitant.

'' Get all your things ready. You will all be safer if you move into the room I've rented!'' Strider answered, turning to walk into the small, hobbit sized bedroom. He had in mind to carry the still unconscious blond haired young man into his room himself so as not to burden the only lady in the group.

He already had a fire burning in the fireplace and water ready to be used for washing. But right now, he needed both for the Athelas, also known as kingsfoil, weed he still had in the form of one leaf. He just hoped it would be enough to slow down the poisoning that had been in the young man's body for several days.

'' Now, wait just one moment! '' Mr Butterbur protested, moving forward to intercept Strider with a frown on his face, but stopped talking when the Ranger sent the innkeeper a hard look.

Sighing, the Innkeeper turned and stomped out of the room towards his own quarters

…...

Sakura nearly jumped as the clock in the corner of the wall chimed three times to tell the room's occupants that it was midnight.

For one reason or another she just couldn't fall asleep tonight. The young woman leaned her elbows on the cold windowsill and rested her chin on top. She was looking down at the rain-soaked street that was completely devoid from any form of life, but her thoughts had returned to what had happened some hours ago when Barliman Butterbur had come to talk to Frodo.

Gandalf had actually passed through Bree, and had left a note to the Innkeeper to give to the Baggin's, but apparently Butterbur had forgotten about the letter and thus had forgotten to give the letter to a hobbit with the name of '' Underhill''.

If they had gotten the letter earlier, they would have known to look for a lean, dark and tall man carrying a sword that was broken below the hilt.

'' All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither. '' Sakura chanted inwardly. There were a lot of worries in her mind, and she wanted to keep them away somewhat by thinking about the poem that had been in the letter. The message in the poem still interested and puzzled her. '' Deep roots are not reached by frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was broken. The crownless again shall be king.''

She frowned.

Strider hadn't admitted that he was the crown less king mentioned in the letter, but even if he didn't admit it, Sakura had seen a certain royal regallness in the ranger which made her believe there was more to the man than he would admit.

'' Can't sleep?''

'' No, I'm worried about what's going to happen tonight with the Black Riders coming, '' Sakura whispered. She had sensed that the man haunting her thoughts had been sitting wake behind her for some time now, and thus she hadn't jumped when he decided to speak up.

The kunoichi turned to look at Strider as the man walked to another unoccupied chair opposite her near the window and sat down.'' Do you think it was just bad luck that Nob saw them outside the gate? ''

Strider shook his head.'' They feel the presence of the ring at all times. They will never stop hunting Frodo, or his friends for that matter.''

Sakura looked forlornly down at her hands that were spread on her lap and whispered:

'' I do not feel safe here in this Inn, even though the idea to change rooms was a very good one. I also worry about what has happened to Gandalf. ''

Sakura paused for a moment; she was scared. Naruto was still unconscious, even after Strider had bathed his wound with the medicinal water. The strong fragrance that had billowed from the bowl had come from a medicinal plant called the Athelas weed she was sure to keep in mind. ''But whom I'm especially worried about is Naruto. You said he was struck by a Morgul Blade and that he will be turned into a wraith if he doesn't get help soon.''

'' Yes, but he is strong. He knows the situation he is in and I'm sure he will fight against the poison spreading into his body. And he will do it for you. '' Strider said softly, leaning forward and putting a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura felt tears stinging her eyes as she turned to where Naruto was lying sideways on the three beds pushed together to make one big bed. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin slept facing the headboard.'' I know, it's just th- that I feel s- so weak and meaningless right now.'' she choked out, pulling her hand into a fist. '' All I could do was ease his pain somewhat, but nothing more. ''

'' Just you being here with him is reason enough for him to not give up, Sakura!'' Strider said sternly, catching the kunoichi's attention. '' He loves you! Do what you can to help him in the future and don't show how much it hurts you to not be able to do more than you are able to. He doesn't need to see you beat yourself up for something that's not in your power to change.''

Sakura sighed and stood up. Her keen ears had suddenly heard a faint mumble coming from where her boyfriend was lying. ''Strider, I apologies for the way I've acted towards you all day. I wasn't sure I could trust you, but the fortunate changes of events have made me rethink my beliefs towards you.''

The ranger smiled and nodded at the kunoichi. She smiled back at him and then turned to walk over to the bed on the other side of the room.

Strider watched as she stood over the bed looking down at her lover whom looked to be finally waking up.

Sakura watched with concern as Naruto turned to face her. His face was contorting in pain and when he slowly opened his usually so bright blue eyes, she noticed how much of the brightness had dimmed from them.

'' Sa-Sakura. It hurts.'' he whispered painfully as the young woman sat down on the edge of the bed.

Sakura bit lightly at her upper lip, closed her eyes and concentrated. Her right hand started glowing with the familiar greenish- blue chakra. She kicked off her footwear and crawled on the slightly lumpy mattress to lay down next to her boyfriend.

Naruto instinctively moved closer to Sakura's side, and felt her slender hand on his shoulder. Her touch chased away the cold, stabbing pain if only for a short while.

'' I love you, Sakura. '' he breathed out, pulling her even closer to his side.

'' I… love you, too, Naruto!'' Sakura whispered, her words becoming slurred as exhaustion started take hold of her body.

The healing chakra disappeared, but it left a pleasant feeling for both of them as they lay there, both having fallen asleep on the bed; sharing their body warmth.

Meanwhile, back at the front gate, the gatekeeper had suddenly heard the noise of approaching horses. Grumbling with dissatisfaction at having been bothered at this late of night, the wrinkled man pulled his hood over his head and left his resting place near the gate and walked over to the gate to investigate.

A shiver went down the man's spine at the thought of telling the black men that they weren't allowed to step foot inside the streets of Bree ever again. He had enough time to open the peep- window done to the gate, when he was knocked down on the ground by the heavy falling gate.

He was crushed beneath twenty pairs of hooves as five horses made their way towards the village and the '' Prancing Pony'', along with their Riders that were hooded in black.

Unknown to the Black Riders, the surprised and horrified expression on the gatekeepers face still crushed under the heavy gate would forever be etched on the corpse.

When the Riders found the Inn of the '' Prancing Pony'', they broke through the door and entered, but failed to notice a certain innkeeper who had hid from them in a corner.

Barliman Butterbur had heard noise outside his Inn and had come down to investigate. Now he sat slumped in the dark shadows of the corner, terrified and holding his eyes closed; hoping that the Riders wouldn't find him and kill him.

The Riders slowly and quietly entered the room the hobbits and the two ninjas had officially rented. They saw that the beds had been pushed together to make one big bed. They saw the six lumps which indicated that the ones they were looking for were in the room.

The leader gave the others a swift order to surround the bed from all sides

They did so, and soon the ominous Riders were standing over the beds with their swords held above their heads.

Then, once the leader gave the sign to strike…

SLICE!

The Riders all stabbed at the beds simultaneously. They stabbed at the beds over and over again to make sure the ones they were looking for were all dead, but no blood spilled on the bed cover. All they found were bunches of feathers and mutilated pillows.

The sinister riders screeched in absolute fury at being tricked. They tore the beds apart, and flung the bed covers and pillows that were full of feathers on the floor.

Meanwhile, inside Strider's room, the hobbits sat bolt upright on the beds with startled gasps.

Naruto's eyes flew open in a flash and he tried to sit up but collapsed back on the soft mattress with a hiss of pain. His whole weight had momentarily rested on his left arm.

Sakura was startled awake when the blond's weight made the mattress jump under her.

'' Huh, Naruto… what…?'' Sakura mumbled incoherently, feeling rather dizzy and tired. Her head and her muscles ached terribly which had her thinking she had used a lot more chakra than she had imagined. '' Ugh, I hurt all over. '' the kunoichi groaned inwardly.'' Damn chakra exhaustion!''

Her question was answered a moment later by a bone chilling screech which sounded all too familiar.

Sakura's eyes widened and she sat bolt upright, ignoring the ache in her skull and her tiredness. ''Black Riders! '' she gasped out.

'' You know what, by now I'm glad you all listened to Strider's advice to change rooms.'' Naruto mumbled, sliding off the bed and stumbling towards the window on the other side of the room. He looked outside to see five black horses standing outside in the street. He shivered when he took notice of how creepy those animals looked in the light of the small lamps attached to the wall of the Inn. '' Red eyes? How were those horses bred?'' Naruto wondered in his head.

'' Yeah, no kidding!'' Pippin squeaked from where he was huddled between Sam and Merry on the bed. '' We would have all been dead meat if we had stayed in that room!''

'' But why couldn't Sakura and Naruto sense the Riders' presence in Bree or the Inn?'' Merry spoke up with a shaky voice. '' They've always sensed everything before now. Are they loosing their touch?''

'' I have minor chakra exhaustion and so I wasn't very aware of my surroundings!'' Sakura spoke up in defense. '' Besides, those riders are hiding their chakra signature!''

'' Actually, I have been able to sense the presence of the Riders since they entered Bree! '' Naruto spoke up from where he was standing by the window.'' But for some reason my body just froze up and I was unable to move or speak up!''

He shivered. '' I don't know what the heck is wrong with me! I can sense the Rider's clearly, even when their hiding their chakra signature from Sakura, but for some reason I just froze up when I tried to warn you all about them.''

'' You were slashed by a Morgul blade. Perhaps the poison in your body is already starting to change your consciousness.'' Merry answered; his face was pale. His eyes showed worry as he looked at his friend.

Another bone chilling screech cut the night air like a knife, making everyone in the room wince at the noise.

'' What-what are they really, Strider?'' Frodo asked quietly, looking very scared. '' Are they living dead?''

''They were once men." Strider answered with a sad sigh. "Great kings of men. Then Sauron, the deceiver, gave to them the nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one, they fell into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will… "

The ranger turned to look out the window to see the Riders preparing to leave the Inn. '' They are the Nazgul, Ringwraiths and their neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the ring that is drawn by the power of the one. They will never stop hunting you."

Naruto swallowed hard as he watched the Ringwraiths regroup outside the Inn. '' And that is what is going to happen to me as well if we don't find ourselves in Rivendell soon, isn't it, Strider?''

'' I'm pretty sure that even Kyuubi would not let himself be ensnared so willingly to another's will, Naruto? '' Strider answered.'' Any creature who is strong enough to be able to rule a world wouldn't so easily let someone else take over the ruling.''

Naruto spun around at the mention of the demon-fox's name and gave the man a piercing look with his blue eyes. His heart hammered in his throat at the shock of Strider knowing about Kyuubi.

'' The last time I saw Gandalf, he believed that I could be trusted me with your secret.'' Strider answered quickly, seeing the intense expression on the younger man's face. '' We have been friends and traveling partners for many years past. Believe me when I saw I won't tell anyone else of what has been sealed within you without confronting you first.'' he continued.

Naruto continued to stare blankly at the older man for a moment, but then a slow, nervous smile appeared on his lips.'' Nice way to put the fox's thoughts into actual words,'' he finally answered with a small laugh, '' for that's exactly what the Kyuubi is thinking right now. But I, too, have something that is worth fighting for.''

'' You want to spend the rest of your life with Sakura.'' Strider pointed out with a sad smile.

Naruto said nothing, but the look of determination on his face told everything.

…...

The next day, after breakfast, the four hobbits, Naruto and Sakura quickly repacked their traveling- bags with more of the supplies that Strider had picked out for them.

The two young ninja had been very surprised, when they had woken up that morning to find two sharp knives resting next to their traveling packs. Scrambling out of bed they'd immediately pulled the knives out from the holsters to inspect them with interest.

The weapons had felt sturdier and weighed more than the kunai they carried. Strider had come into the room at the time and had explained to them that the knives were designed for blocking an opponents strike and for slashing or stabbing; not for throwing like the kunai. But, if it was needed, the knives could be used for throwing.

It was close to ten o'clock before the group was able to get on their way; the delay being that they needed a pony to carry most of the hobbits' luggage. But since the stables had been robbed last night, the only pony they'd gotten with twelve silver pennies was a dispirited, bony and underfed creature.

'' But it doesn't seem to be dying anytime soon, Merry!'' Sakura was heard saying to Merry outside in the street as she and the hobbit were putting the luggage on the back of Bill the pony.

'' Isn't strapping pack after pack of supplies on a poor underfed pony considered animal cruelty? '' Merry whispered in the kunoichi's ear.

Unexpectedly, Sakura almost choked on the breath she had been taking and had to muffle the sound of her giggles into Bill's soft mane.'' Isn't it considered animal cruelty when you hobbits and Strider are making me carry four times the weight of your luggage on my back, Merry? '' she shot back with a smirk.

'' No, not when you are currently one of the strongest in our group!'' Merry answered, bursting into laughter. ''Though I pity both Frodo and Naruto. Frodo is no longer a young hobbit and Naruto is currently not in the best of health. We needed to make their journey a little more comfortable.''

'' By making me a baggage mule? '' Sakura shot back, now laughing openly. They laughed together a good while, drawing strange looks from the people of Bree who had stopped to see what they were doing with interest.

Meanwhile Strider, Frodo, Naruto, Pippin and Sam were inside the Inn having a last drink with Mr Barliman Butterbur and talking about the strange occurrences that had happened last night.

Even Naruto, who really didn't feel like drinking much, opted to try out the well brewed ale of the ''Prancing Pony''.

'' It's unfortunate that we must leave today. I honestly liked the hospitality in this Inn.'' Frodo said, taking a sip from his goblet. '' I hope we shall meet again some day, when things are merry again. I should like nothing better than to stay at your in peace for a while.''

'' I should want nothing better than to have you all as my customers again.''

Butterbur answered with a kind smile. His spirits had been slightly lifted, but his thoughts were still circling around the fact that he had lost thirty nine silver pennies to Merry and Bill Ferny. It was a sore blow, and he couldn't help but be disappointed. He had opted to pay for Bill the pony himself and to pay Merry twenty-seven silver pennies for the loss of six ponies.

Many of the customers at staying at his place had lost a horse or two. The southern travelers had lost several horses and blamed the Inn-keeper for what had happened.

But then it came to knowledge that one of their own had disappeared into the night.

The person was none other than Bill Ferny's squinty-eyed companion. Suspicions of him being the culprit to have let the horses out fell on him at once.

But if Mister Butterbur had known at the time, that only one horse had actually been stolen and the rest of them had either driven off or bolted in terror of the Black Riders.

The horses were found wandering in different parts of Bree-land. Merry's ponies had bolted altogether, and had made their way over to the Downs in search of Tom Bombadil's steed, Fatty Lumpkin.

Tom Bombadil took them in, and took care of them for a while. But when news of what had happened in Bree reached the ears of old Bombadil, he sent the ponies to Barliman Butterbur at a fair price. The ponies had to work harder in Bree, but it was a small price compared to what they would have had to go through on an arduous, dangerous journey. Besides, Bob the stable-master was a kind hobbit who would take good care of them.

'' Well, I think it's time to leave. '' Strider spoke up, standing up from his chair.

Frodo and the others followed suit.

Barliman Butterbur followed them outside to give them all a proper farewell. He shook hands with each of the hobbits, Sakura and Naruto.

He even shook hands with Strider, although not as heartily as he had done with the others. It was obvious he still didn't trust the Ranger.

After they'd exchanged goodbyes, they were off with Strider leading the group.

He'd opted to change his mind about taking the group through the countryside since most of the inhabitants of Bree were crowded on the road to see them leave.

Frodo's vanishing trick, Sakura's manhandling one of the pub's customers, the robbing of the stables and the news of Strider joining the group had spiked everyone's interest. It was very likely that such a tale would last for many years to come.

'' Why did Strider change his mind about taking us through the countryside? ''Naruto muttered as they tramped down the main road under the eyes of the Breelanders. He felt anxious and disheartened.

Not all the faces were friendly, nor were all the words that were shouted.

For Naruto, it was like the streets of Konoha all over again, but this time he wasn't the only one glowered at.

'' Strider said that if we started cutting across the countryside at once, half of the inhabitants would most likely follow us and prevent us from trespassing. ''Sakura answered rather unenthusiastically. She to felt the animosity towards her, Naruto, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.

'' Why are they acting like this? '' Pippin muttered, joining in on the conversation. '' They may think we are traveling magicians with unknown powers and purpose, but still, they have no reason to act as if were somehow dangerous.''

'' Dangerous? Wouldn't the artifact Frodo's carrying be considered dangerous? '' Naruto whispered in the hobbit's ear.

'' Of course, but they don't know about the ring.'' Pippin whispered back.

'' Strider seems to be the only one held in awe by the villagers. '' Sakura muttered darkly, adjusting the straps of her traveling bag. '' And those who do not seem to appreciate him, shut their mouths when he does so little as look at them. It seems that him being a Ranger is a reason for the villagers to be wary.''

'' Apparently it does! '' Naruto growled, growing irritated at all the stares. He turned his head sharply to glare at certain people who peeped out of a window.

He snarled slightly, showing his side teeth which looked slightly canine.

Just as quickly as they'd appeared, the heads disappeared back inside the house. The hobbits and Sakura burst out laughing.

Feeling slightly less disheartened, the group passed through different sized houses with Strider in the lead, Frodo walking alongside him and Merry walking a little behind the dark haired hobbit. Sam was leading Bill the pony and Pippin was walking alongside Naruto and Sakura.

When they passed through the last house in the village, a very dark, ill-kept house behind a hedge, they all caught a glimpse of a sallow face with slightly slanting eyes.

Over on the hedge another man was staring at the group boldly. He had heavy black brows, and dark scornful eyes. His large mouth was curled in a sneer and he was smoking a pipe. Naruto glowered at him, as the man blew a cloud of smoke in their direction and then spat on the ground.

'' Morning, Longshanks! '' he said mockingly. ''Of Early? Found some friends at last?''

Strider nodded with a blank look on his face but did not answer.

Sakura clenched her hands into fists in her pockets, but fought the urge to pummel the man. Naruto growled lowly. The two had started to like Strider, following the dangerous occurrence in the Prancing Pony last night, though their first impression of the Ranger hadn't been at all good.

Bill Ferny just' humphed' at the Ranger's unwillingness to answer to his taunts, and turned to the hobbits and the two ninjas.

'' And good morning to you too!'' he said to them. '' I suppose you know who you're taken up with? That's Stick- at-naught Strider, that is! Though I've heard other names not so pretty. Watch out tonight!''

Bill Ferny's Southerner friend, who was leaning on the windowsill, laughed heartily at his friends words.

Naruto growled and took a menacing step forward, but was immediately stopped by several pairs of hands on his clothing.

Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sakura were all standing behind him.

'' And you Sammy, don't go ill-treating my poor old pony! Pah!'' Ferny said tauntingly, spitting on the ground in front of Sam's feet.

Naruto was shaking in anger as he tried to break free off his friends, but Sakura caught him in a headlock from behind.

And yet, if someone had been looking at her at the moment, they would have seen that she was absolutely livid.

Sam had an unreadable look on his face as he put a hand inside his vest-pocket. '' Me? Ill-treating our poor underfed pony? I've become rather fond of Bill so don't be stupid!''

His usually so kind eyes turned cold as he looked at the not at all charming man.

'' Has anyone ever told you that you have a big mouth, and that your southerner friend looks more than half like a goblin? You better move your ugly face out of sight or it will get hurt!''

With a sudden flick, quick as lighting, an apple left Sam's hand and hit Bill square on the nose with enough force to almost fracture it.

Ferny had ducked too late, and curses were soon heard coming from behind the hedge.

'' Bah, waste of a good, tasty apple. '' Sam spat regretfully, as he, Naruto, Sakura, Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Strider strode on.

'' A waste of a good apple? Are you kidding? That was the best way to show the man the kind of courtesy he deserves!'' Naruto chortled, clapping a hand on the hobbit's shoulder.

Sam grinned up at the blond ninja while Sakura, Merry, Frodo and Pippin laughed loudly.

Even Strider was grinning in amusement at the front of the group, though it remained unseen by the others.

When the small traveling party passed through the south- gate, they kept their course along the road for some miles. It bent to the left, curving back into its Eastward- line as it rounded the feet of Bree- hill, and then it began to run swiftly downwards into wooded country.

To their left they could see some of the houses and hobbit- holes of Staddle on the gentler south- eastern slopes of the hill; down in deep hollow away north of the road there were wisps of rising smoke that showed were the Combe lay. Archet was hidden in the trees beyond.

After following the road that ran down their path some way, they found themselves leaving Bree- hill standing tall and brown behind. They followed Strider to a narrow track that led off towards the North.

'' This is where we leave the open and take cover!'' said Strider, turning to face his new companions.

Pippin stepped forward and stared dubiously down the narrow track and the wooded valley beyond.'' Not a shortcut, I hope. '' he said with a slight cringe. '' Our last shortcut through the woods nearly ended in disaster!''

'' Now don't you look at me like that Pippin.'' Frodo said with a sigh. '' I know I messed things up big time when I made the decision to cut through the Old Woods.''

'' Trust me,'' Strider said with a laugh. '' my short cuts, being short or long, never end us up in a sticky spot!''

'' What do you mean not sticky?'' Naruto pointed out with a glower. '' The path through the Midgewater Marshes doesn't sound very inviting to me.''

'' It was only an impression, you idiot.'' Sakura sighed, walloping his lover on the back of his head lightly. '' But let's just get off the road and head on. I can't help but keep worrying that we will be spotted by the Black Riders if we stay in the open any longer.''

'' I agree! '' Frodo pointed out. '' I really don't care if it's a short cut or a long cut through the country. And for the love of everything that's in the Shire, I don't care if we have to move through a swamp or two as long as the road takes as towards Rivendell!''

Strider looked more than a little amused at the exchange. He turned to look left and right down the road.

After confirming that they were not being followed by anyone, he led them all quickly down towards the wooded valley.

**End of chapter 7**


	8. Chapter 8 The Midgewater Marches

**Chapter 8 The Midgewater Marches **

**Chapter summary: What happens when Frodo, Naruto, Sakura, Sam, Merry, Pippin and Strider cross the treacherous marshes on their way towards the Last Homely House of Rivendell? Find out in chapter 8!**

**Disclaimer: Sigh… I do not own Naruto Shippuden or the Lord of the Rings Trilogy**

**Author Note: Sorry it took so long to update (once again). I would appreciate constructive criticism in order to improve my writing.**

...

As the hours went by, the hobbits and the two ninja soon realized just how lucky they had been to meet Strider in Bree.

Whether it was the Rangers skill alone or with added luck, the small party of travellers saw no sign or heard no sound of any other living thing all day. Neither two- footed, except for small birds; nor four footed, except for one fox and a few squirrels.

The next day they began to jog a steady course eastwards; and still all was quiet and peaceful. Well, not everything. The cool wind going past them was irritating Naruto's wound and since Sakura needed her energy for the road, she couldn't spare too much of her chakra in helping Naruto fight back the coldness seeping into the young man's skin and the pain.

On the third day out of Bree they came out of Chetwood. The land had been falling steadily, ever since they turned aside from the road, and they had now entered a wide flat expanse of country. They stopped to rest for a moment under the shade of a huge boulder on the side of the road.

Merry, Pippin and Sam started pulling out the cooking utensils strapped onto Bill the pony's back, but when Strider saw what they were doing, he said: "Gentlemen, this is only a short break. We won't be camping until nightfall."

"What about breakfast?" asked Pippin.

"You already had it." Strider said, looking slightly exasperated.

"We've had one yes," said Pippin admonishingly. "But what about second breakfast?"

Strider looked away from the young hobbit while saying nothing. Naruto and Sakura started laughing quietly as they noticed the Ranger rolling his eyes while mumbling: '' Honestly, second breakfast. Why do the hobbit's have such strange ways?''

'' That's because were hobbit's. '' Frodo answered with amusement, having heard heard the man's mumbling. The dark haired hobbit was helping the others pick up the cooking utensils.

"He probably doesn't care about second breakfast, Pip." Merry pointed out, stuffing a cooking- pan into Sam's travelling- pack.

"What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? Surely he knows about them, doesn't he?" Pippin asked, looking at the older hobbit with a slightly frantic look on his face.

"Oh, sure he knows about them, but he has decided to ignore it. And honestly, Pippin, in our situation we can't really have every meal. Otherwise, we would run out of water and other rations and that would be even worse than not having second breakfast, luncheon, afternoon tea and dinner," said Merry in a rather annoyed tone of voice.

Then an apple suddenly flew from almost nowhere towards the two hobbits. Merry caught the apple and looked around to see where the juicy goodness had appeared from. He started laughing when he saw Sakura standing on a low hill throwing another apple into the air and catching it before it fell to the ground. He turned to pat Pippin on the back sympathetically and gave him the apple.

The brown haired hobbit then ducked as another apple flew towards the two of them.

Pippin was caught by surprise and was smacked across the forehead with the missile turned fruit.

"P-Pippin…" Merry called out, laughing uproariously ''... are you alright?''

'' Oh, just perfect, thank you! '' Pippin answered sarcastically, standing up from the ground he had fallen to on his butt. '' Has your mother ever told you to not play with FOOD?' he then shouted at the kunoichi who was leaning against a smaller boulder, giggling helplessly.

'' Hey, stop fooling around there Sakura, Merry and Pippin,'' Strider called out; he was already standing and was half turned towards the direction they were going to take; but he did look quite amused. '' We will be heading off now!''

'' _We are beyond the borders of Bree- land and we are now drawing near to the Midgewater Marshes, _'' Naruto muttered, trying to imitate the Ranger's earlier words and accent with a very sarcastic note.

The blond immediately earned a glare from the said Ranger and a laugh from Frodo and Sam as the dark haired hobbit stood up on his weak, wobbly feet. '' Why that look, Strider? You knew from the beginning that I would be very irritating when I want to be!''

'' Yes, but why are you acting like a kid, Naruto Uzumaki?'' Strider asked with a frown, folding his arms over his chest.

'' It's because I like annoying you, Strider!'' Naruto spoke with an impish grin. '' And besides, it really makes the day much more fun. Doesn't it, eh?''.

'' _Ignore him, ignore him, ignore him! _'' Strider chanted in his head as the blond ninja broke into laughter. On the outside the poor Ranger was looking very calm and composed, but the truth was that Naruto was quickly dragging him over the edge with his fooling around attitude.

Following his own words, the older man turned his back on the ninja and started walking down the unsteady path.

'' Oy, was it something I said?''

'' _Ignore it, ignore it, ignore it you idiot_!'' Strider chanted with a grimace. If that boy wasn't going to shut his mouth, the older man was going to pull his own hair out or throw something heavy at the foolish young man who apparently didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

'' How unbearably hip and unyouthful of you to turn your back on me, Strider!''

DONNNG!

'' OOOWW!

Strider allowed his lips to curl into a satisfied smirk as a swirly-eyed Naruto fell on his butt on the moss covered ground after a large, juicy apple had struck him on the nose.

The ranger then turned his back on the ninja whom was rubbing at his bruising nose whilst his lover and the four amused hobbits were rolling around in almost hysterical laughter.

…...

Meanwhile in Isengard, Saruman was holding out his hand over the usually so black stone called the Palantir. Sauron's fiery red eye was staring at the Istari through the Palantir and giving the stone a red glow.

''The power of Isengard is at your command, Sauron, lord of the earth, '' the Istari said in his head, knowing that Sauron would hear it nevertheless.

The being, whom was once a server of the Vala, muttered a sentence of the black speech before speaking directly to Saruman. His voice was eerie and bone-chilling.

''…_BUILD ME AN ARMY, WORTHY OF MORDOR." _

Sometime later after hearing his orders, the evil turned White Wizard walked over to another room where he sat down, his arms crossed over his chest and waiting patiently.

A little while later, a few of the short, ugly orcs under his command arrived in the room.

"What orders," said one of them, "from Mordor, my lord? What does the eye command?"

"We have work to do!" Saruman answered his minion shortly, a grim look on his face.

'' OW! I'm being eaten ALIVE!'' Pippin cried, scratching his side feverishly. '' MIDGEWATER? There are more midges than water!''

The ground the small travelling party was crossing had become damp, and in some places boggy and here and there they came upon ponds and wide stretches of reed and rushes. There was also the sound of the warbling of hidden birds emitting from the reeds and rushes.

'' We all are, Pippin!'' Naruto moaned, trudging on in the back of the group with Merry and Pippin, scratching his badly reddened lower back. '' Oh, look, there's another cloud of midges arriving azap! How wonderful indeed. '' he said sarcastically, pointing towards the small cloud of insects flying towards them.'' Maybe we should start shouting '' hurray'' for finally seeing the wildlife of these cursed marshes; because for the life of me, I haven't seen any other creatures around here!''

'' Gah! At least you're here to keep our minds from turning solely on these annoying critters, Naruto.'' Merry gasped, slapping a hand on his left arm to fend off some of the biting midges. '' That was actually a pretty funny sentiment. Hey, whoa…!''

He dug his knees deep into the soil and caught a good grip on the man's left arm as the blond ninja suddenly stumbled and started falling sideways towards a small pond. Pippin caught Naruto's other arm, and together they somehow managed to keep their friend from falling into the water.

They both gave a sigh of relief when Naruto regained his equilibrium a moment later.

'' Are you alright, Naruto?'' Merry asked with genuine concern on his face. '' What happened?

'' I- I'm… just fine now, Merry.'' Naruto mumbled, wiping away the cold sweat appearing on his forehead. '' I just… felt a little dizzy for a moment. Thanks for not letting me fall in the water, you guys.''

'' No problem, but honestly, Naruto, are you really alright? '' Pippin asked, letting the blond shinobi lower a hand on his shoulder to help him keep steady as they continued to trudge down the wet, unsteady path.

'' Honestly?'' Naruto moaned. '' It feels like cold water is being continuously poured down my arm under my skin and then being stabbed by ice cold knives. My legs feel so heavy, like I'm dragging a huge slab of stone behind me and I get really dizzy. At times I wonder how long I can actually stay standing and walking. I don't really feel hunger anymore. The food no longer tastes the same as it did, but I eat whenever everyone else does so as not to worry the rest of you.''

Merry and Pippin suddenly looked horrified. Neither of them had known just how bad things had gotten in just a few days. '' Maybe you should have Sakura… '' Pippin started but was cut off by Naruto's stern voice.

'' Don't even think about asking her to do anything, Pippin!'' he said. ''She's already downhearted about not being able to heal me as it is, and I don't want her knowing that her chakra no longer eases any of the pain like it did before. ''

'' But… '' Pippin squeaked incredulously, but was given a hard stare by the blond.

The young hobbit gulped slightly as he looked into Naruto's eyes.

'' I won't have her wasting chakra and fall into exhaustion over helping me with something that won't work on me anymore!'' Naruto said quietly. He straightened his back and began walking a little faster.

He passed Pippin who had stopped walking for a moment.

There was a very pained look on the Took's face as he stared down at his hairy feet.

Merry, who had been walking slightly behind Pippin and Naruto, threw a comforting arm around Pippin's shoulders and nudged him to keep walking.

Pippin was quiet for a moment before saying: '' Why? Why do I feel like I'm absolutely worthless in this situation? I want to help Naruto, but I don't have the healing powers of Sakura. Well, not that it matters anymore since those powers no longer work!'' Pippin muttered.

'' You feel helpless because we are can only be there for him as friends, Pippin, '' Merry answered with a sad sigh. '' We can hope that he doesn't turn into a wraith before we reach Rivendell.''

At first the group made fair progress through the marshes, but had to pick their way through the path carefully to keep their feet from getting wet. Then the road became slower and more dangerous.

The marshes proved to be bewildering and treacherous even for the Ranger and the ninjas.

There was no permanent trail that Strider could find through the shifting quagmires and the flies were beginning to bother them more than ever. And then there were the tiny midges that seeked to torment to them all. The tiny terrors were creeping up their sleeves and squirming around in their hair.

'' AAARRRGGHHH!'' Sakura shrieked, as she was attacked by another cloud of the tiny insects. '' Pippin's right, there are more midges than water in this god forsaken marshland!''

'' Be careful where you step, everyone,'' Strider called from the front. '' There are a lot of Swamp Moccasins swimming around in these parts.''

'' And what are Swamp Moccasins, pray tell?'' Sakura mumbled, scratching her itching neck.

The Ranger turned to face the kunoichi with a slightly amused look on his face. '' Swamp Moccasins are small snakes about the length of your arm and about the width of my thumb. They have black scales… and I suppose I forgot to mention that their also very poisonous.''

Sakura froze in her tracks so suddenly that Frodo, Sam and Bill the pony almost stumbled into her. She felt sweat beginning to form on her forehead as she looked down at her feet, which were completely hidden under the murky, smelly swamp water.

She paled, when she suddenly felt something cold and scaly slither over the bare skin of her toes which were peeking out of her thick black sandals.

'' GYAAAAHHHH!'' Sakura screamed as she leaped from the spot she had been standing. The momentum had her sailing through the air and land on the back of a very surprised ranger who had turned around to trudge forward.

'' What the…? '' Strider squawked as the panicky kunoichi's arms pressed against his wind- pipe, and stumbled slightly in the slippery, treacherous wet mud. '' Sakura, stop choking me and for the name of Eru, get off my back this instant!''

'' I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, STRIDER!'' Sakura screeched out. She shook with barely suppressed anger as she slid off the man's back. The young woman really felt like strangling the ranger for real, not just out of accident. '' You could have warned us about the snakes beforehand!''

'' Yes, but it wouldn't have been as funny.'' Strider answered, chuckling softly at the look on the kunoichi's reddened face.

'' It wasn't amusing at all, Strider! Are you asking for a mouth full off broken teeth? '' Sakura shrieked as she took hold of the man's jacket and shook him hard. She could hear Frodo, Sam, Naruto, Pippin and Merry laughing at her in the background.

None of them had expected to find out that Strider, of all people, was a prankster, but he had indeed learn to be one by going along with the fun with Elladan and Elrohir; the son's of Lord Elrond and his surrogate brothers.

The poor kunoichi's face was as red as a ripe tomato. She was pretty sure her blond boyfriend would forever remember the reason she had jumped on Strider.

The group spent a miserable day in the filthy and unpleasant country. The camping place was damp, cold and uncomfortable. And the biting insects were bent on driving them all mad.

The only even remotely funny incident that had happened before bedtime was when Strider returned to their camping site from his hunting expedition. He had carried a deer carcass over his shoulder and holding a dead Swamp- Moccasin in his hand.

Sakura had jumped nearly five feet into the air when the Ranger had dangled the dead snake in front of her face. Then she nearly vomited when the man had explained that a roasted Swamp- Moccasin was actually a very good food source.

Surprisingly, the hobbits had been hungry enough to eat the reptile once it was fully cooked as a snack before the deer-meat was ready to eat.

Naruto, though very hungry, stayed clear of the snake, for he had been told by his girlfriend that she wouldn't be sleeping next to him if he so much as dared to taste it.

The night on the other hand was a nightmare; the midges were bothering them, but there were also abominable creatures resembling crickets. There were thousands of them, and they squeaked all around all night until the hobbits were nearly frantic, Sakura ready to scream in agitation and Naruto ready to jam one of Sam's pans down Strider's throat for bringing them to such a place.

'' Neeck- breek, neeck- breeck! '' Sakura was heard muttering as she snuggled closer to the blond Kyuubi vessel that was her boyfriend.'' Those things are driving me absolutely bonkers. I feel like strangling someone. Mainly Strider since he was the one to bring us here.''

'' What a living nightmare this day came to be! And I even bothered to say that it doesn't matter to me if we have to cross through a bog or two!'' Frodo groaned, slapping a midge off his ear. '' I really have to learn when to keep my big mouth shut!''

The only answer to their words was a mutual groan from the three other hobbits and Naruto. Strider said nothing, but moved a little further away from the group in fear of the kunoichi holding to her words.

The next day, the fourth, was a little better and the night almost as comfortless. Although most of the Neeker- breekers, as Sam had named them, had been left behind, there were still a small amount of them flying around biting at a person's skin.

Frodo sighed as he lay tired on the ground in a huddle between Sam, Merry and Pippin. He cursed softly as several midges bit at his exposed skin, but that wasn't the only thing that was keeping him from closing his eyes. A light far away in the eastern sky flashed and faded many times.

'' What is that light?''

Frodo turned his head to see Naruto staring at him with a tired look in his eyes. In the light coming from the fire the hobbit was able to see the dark circles under the shinobi's eyes. '' _Looks like I'm not the only one who has trouble sleeping._' he thought.

'' It's hard to say,'' Strider answered calmly from where he was sitting on watch.

Frodo and Naruto turned their heads to look at the ranger.

'' Well, I'm pretty it wasn't the dawn. '' Naruto said quietly. '' It's still some hours away.''

'' Which makes it important for you two to get some sleep!'' Strider said firmly. '' Especially you, Naruto. You are exhausted right now so you'll have to gather you're strength for the walk tomorrow.''

'' And not to mention you look terribly pale!'' Frodo said worriedly. '' I saw you almost stumbling into the murky swamp water earlier today. And do you remember that incident earlier, when you became green from nausea and almost threw up your dinner?''

Naruto gave a half-hearted glare at the hobbit before muttering: '' Thanks for reminding me of that, Frodo. I'll try to sleep, but it's easier to say than do with my aching shoulder and back.''

He closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of Sakura's neck. She sighed softly in her sleep and unconciously rolled around to face the young man. Naruto smiled slightly and slowly breathed in her sweet scent as he tried to relax and fall asleep.

Frodo and Strider shared a worried glance.

'' He is suffering, isn't he?'' Frodo whispered very quietly, but the man still heard him.

'' Its getting harder and harder for him to walk long distances,'' he said. '' As he gets weaker, he will find himself in a situation where he will have to depend more and more on his lover, and his friends.''

Frodo's face contorted with emotional pain. '' I'm sure he will hate that, but what choice does he have but rely on those who walk with him. I… I suffer with the knowledge that the ring's fate rests on my hands, but his suffering is there for everyone to see now. He no longer hides it, and is unable to hide it from us. He doesn't deserve this, and I hate seeing him like this.

He paused for a moment to bite down the sob rising in his throat.

'' I… I would have been depressed for some time after Uncle Bilbo left, if he hadn't been there to cheer me up in his own way. I helped him get the trust he needed from the others in south-farthing and beyond. It was hard, but the whole thing brought us two, Merry, Pippin and eventually Sam, closer; we all became as close as brothers. When Sakura came back to Bag End, I was so happy for Naruto. And when they started becoming more than friends, I was so ecstatic that I nearly danced with joy.''

He was now openly shedding tears.

'' I went to their room one day to clean up the dust, when a piece paper peeping out of a drawer caught my attention. I was so curious, that I opened the drawer to take a peep. There was a very detailed ring drawn onto the middle of the paper; an engagement ring! But I don't have the faintest of a clue how soon he would have asked Sakura to marry him!''

Strider looked down at the ground with a sorrowful look on his face. '' Their good people, Naruto and Sakura! I hope they will get the change to become family. '' he said with a sigh. '' Frodo, you need to get some sleep as well. We have a long day tomorrow.''

The dark haired hobbit nodded and lay back down, but it took a long time for him to actually fall asleep when thoughts of '' It's my fault he could become like a wraith; I should have been quicker to escape. And I shouldn't have let them all come with me'', plagued his thoughts.

On the fifth day, it didn't take long for the tired, itchy group to leave the last straggling pools and reed- beds of the marshes behind. The mere thought of finally getting rid of the biting insects giving them strength.

They found that the land was steadily rising, and that far away in the distance eastwards they could see a line of hills. The highest of them was at the right of the line and a little separated from the others. It had a conical top and was slightly flattened at the summit.

They plodded along, until the cold and early evening came down on the travellers. Sakura and Naruto noticed that the land became drier and more barren, but it didn't make much difference for the blond ninja who struggled to keep going, despite feeling like he couldn't take another step.

He winced as a brisk, cool wind brushed over his shoulder. It did nothing but make him feel colder. The young man looked up to see a few birds fly over the group piping and wailing. The sun, round and red, sank slowly into the shadows west from them. Then empty silence fell; the only sound coming from their feet and the hooves of Bill the pony.

Naruto sighed, as he thought longingly of the sunsets down in Bag End. The soft light of the setting sun glancing through the windows of the hobbit-holes far away had always been one of the highlights after a hot day.

When the travellers came to a stream that wandered down from the hills to disappear into the marshland, it was almost day's end. And as they toiled up the steep banks, the young man's stamina totally dropped.

Naruto froze mid-step and would have fallen face down on the muddy ground, if Strider hadn't grabbed him around the waist.

The ranger quickly pulled him up, and found to his worry that the young ninja was very pale in the face and shivery. The man's breathing was fast as he tried to stay on his shaking feet and when Strider put his weather- beaten palm over the blonde's chest, he noticed that the Kyuubi-vessel's heart- rate had become fast as well.

'' I'm… I'm sorry… for… being a… burden…'' Naruto wheezed out... '' If I hadn't been so careless at the other end of the Brandywine River… you wouldn't be… slowed down.''

His voice became less coherent as he started to loose his consciousness.

Strider cursed softly and slapped the young man on the cheek lightly to keep him awake. Naruto moaned pitifully and his blue eyes slowly blinked open to stare up at the ranger.

''It can't be helped, and it's really not your fault that its become harder for you to keep going. '' Strider said grimly, crouching to let the blond climb on his back.

'' I'm a grown man, Strider, for Kami's sake'' Naruto protested with a weak voice. '' I don't need to be carr…!''

He winced when he felt his knees buckling under him dangerously.'' I'm going to hate myself afterwards! '' he muttered, cursing his weakness as he clambered onto Strider's back.

The older man fastened his hands under the young man's knees, just above the ninja's thighs, and stood up. He then felt Naruto's head drop almost limply onto his shoulder.

'' Stay awake, Naruto!'' he said loudly, rousing the ninja who was again on the edge of falling into unconsciousness.

Later that day, when the darkness had finally fallen over the land, the group halted and made their camp under some alder- trees by the shores of the stream.

An exhausted Frodo was given the job to keep a faintly annoyed Naruto awake while Sakura hurried off to fetch firewood.

Sam was putting rocks into a ring to make a place for the campfire and Pippin and Merry were pulling out pans and other cooking items.

Strider had already fetched some water out of the stream and was now hunting for fish on the shallow stream; he was not wearing his cloak, since he had put it over Naruto to keep him warm.

It was late in the night, when Strider had finally decided that it was safe for the blond ninja to fall asleep. He had used Athelas again; the small bit of the plant he was able to find in the wilderness.

They had set watch that night, but the ranger never slept that night and neither did Sakura.

She stayed up all night, keeping an eye on her boyfriend who was currently in very bad shape; the testimony being that he had collapsed earlier during the day and had to be carried the rest of the way by Strider.

Tears were slowly down Sakura's cheeks as she lay on her side whilst resting her head on top of Naruto's stomach.

And so, with the whole travelling party riddled with problems of their own, the group was totally unaware of what fate had befallen one of their ally's and the destruction of the once beautiful yard of Isengard

The once lush green forest had been ripped apart. Every old trunk had been pulled down to the ground with it's roots; the trunks were then chopped into smaller faggots and carried off by the horribly disfigured orcs working under the orders of Saruman the White.

And none of them were aware, that up on the high Tower of Orthanc, Gandalf was finally waking up from the coma- like state Saruman had put him under after they'd fought in the Main Room of the black tower.

Feeling slightly dizzy and nauseous, Gandalf pulled his bruised and scarred body to his knees. The wizard then slowly and painfully struggled to his wobbling feet. Cautiously, he looked down from the edge of the tower. He cursed softly as he looked down at the total demolishing below him.

His eyes narrowed in anger and the memory of him being betrayed in such a brutal way by his once so trusted fellow Istari. Now he knew whom Sakura had heard Saruman talking to in the out- of- bounds room. Sauron had probably been Saruman's master longer than the Grey wizard even knew.

Several days went by in which the small group trudged their way to Weathertop, the Watch-Tower of Amun Sul, and were currently resting up on the tall structure; Frodo, Sakura and Naruto were sleeping deeply while Merry, Pippin and Sam were sitting wide awake near the small fire the three of them had put up.

Sam was stirring the cooking tomatoes, sausages and bacon in the frying- pan over the fire with a forlorn look on his face. He, like the rest of the group, was currently resting on the flat summit of Weathertop. And he was worried.

The whole travelling- party had stood on the hilltop, having started off early that morning and had travelled all day just to reach Weathertop before sundown.

They'd been facing the southward edge when they had seen two black specks moving slowly up the road going west.

Three more had been creeping eastward to meet them.

Strider, Sakura and Naruto had been sure that the specks they'd seen were the Black Riders looking for them. It hadn't taken long for the ranger to order them all to hide; and that's what they did by hiding behind large rocks. There was also that one question bugging the blond, chubby hobbit. Merry and Pippin had found a flat, white rock unlike the others around it sitting on a cairn. The writing upon the stone could have been a message left by Gandalf, or it may have been someone they had no connection to.

According to Strider, it could have been carved by another ranger.

Sam brushed a hand over his eyes tiredly and turned back to his cooking. He hated feeling so scared and vulnerable sitting up here on the summit of Weathertop after Strider had decided to leave the campfire to inspect the landscape around them for signs of the Black Riders.

Yes, Naruto had taught him how to use ninja- weapons and the basics of unarmed combat which he called Taijutsu. And, alongside Frodo, Merry and Pippin, he had also learned about the art of hiding and staying hidden whilst waiting to ambush someone.

They'd even learned what it felt like to really give another person bruises and small cuts, when the blond ninja had them spar against each other in the woods of the Shire, but it was nothing compared to what had been drilled into his head as a young boy. Naruto had apparently began his training in the Ninja Academy at the age of four.

Sighing, Sam turned to his left to share a glance with Merry and Pippin who were sitting on the opposite side of the campfire: just in front of Frodo, Sakura and Naruto whom were fast asleep and huddled together for warmth.

Merry was looking very uncomfortable and his jaw looked tight from apprehension. Pippin was staring hungrily at the cooking tomatoes, bacon and sausages, but there was hidden fear and discomfort in the corners of his eyes.

A sudden, low moan coming from Naruto suddenly caught Sam's attention.

'' Naruto…'' the hobbit thought grimly as he raised his head to look at the blond haired man fidgeting in his sleep.

He watched as Merry carefully lowered a hand on the young man's forehead. Naruto seemed to calm down from the touch, but wouldn't wake up.

The blond hobbit frowned as he saw Merry's expression turn to worry.

The younger hobbit raised his head and whispered: '' His skin has turned cold!''

Sam recoiled almost unnoticeably at these words. His forehead greased as he strained his eyes to look at the young man more closely. Naruto was clearly sweating and breathing quicker than normal. The chubby was sure that the young man had developed a fever that couldn't be fully detected under the coldness of his skin.

''You better not turn into a wraith. Otherwise I'll never forgive you for breaking Sakura's heart. She loves you, and that love made her stay up all night yesterday.'' Sam thought grimly.

Later that night, Frodo was starting to wake up from his sleep. He groaned softly as he listened to the voices speaking around him. His nose also detected the delicious smell of well cooked food and burning wood. '' _Wait, burning fire-wood?'' _Frodo gasped inwardly as his sleep-addled brain finally started working properly.

And at the same moment, Merry's laughing voice could be heard exclaiming. '' My tomatoes burst!''

'' Those fools.'' Frodo thought in horrified despair as Sam's voice asked the young Brandibuk for some bacon.

"Okay." said Merry." Want a tomato Sam?"

The Baggins's eyes flew open and he sat up abruptly, startling the three hobbits sitting over the campfire."What are you doing?" the dark haired hobbit exclaimed in shock and fear.

"There are tomatoes, sausages and nice crispy bacon," answered Merry; he was a little nervous at the expression on Frodo's face.

"We saved some," Sam then broke in, holding out a prepared plate for Frodo, "for you, Mr. Frodo."

Gasping, the older hobbit quickly stood up and stamped his foot on the fire to snuff it out. "Put it out," he cried out, "you fools! Put it out!"

"That's nice!" Pippin cried out, a little upset as warm, grey powdery ash fluttered onto his dish." Ash on my tomatoes!"

'' Yeah, Frodo! '' Merry exclaimed, shoving his plate away from the leaping ashes. '' WHAT is wrong with you?''

'' HOW can you numbskulls be so stupid as to lit up a campfire?'' Frodo shouted, angrily. '' Have you learned anything at all? The Black Riders are after us and you three were foolish enough to show them our HIDING PLACE! Of all the foolish…!''

'' FRODO!'' Sakura screeched as she and Naruto sat up, looking startled. '' What is the matter with you guys? Why the shouting? Your yapping will alert the Black Riders to our presence! ''

'' _Your yapping will alert the Black Riders to our presence_!'' Frodo repeated sarcastically, trying to imitate the kunoichi's annoyed feminine voice.

Sakura glared up at the dark haired hobbit. She knew Frodo had picked up Naruto's bad habit of becoming sarcastic in most unlikely, or even dangerous situations; having lived in the same house with him for so long. But this was ridiculous.

'' These three idiots lit up a little bonfire!'' Frodo grinded out between clenched teeth; he was clearly very upset about what had happened. '' I'm pretty sure they've already alerted those creatures to our presence. And now all six of us are up the creek without a paddle, as they say. In other words, were in very deep trouble now that the Riders know where we a…''

**SCCCCCRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**

There it was again; a high-pitched screech that echoed over the land. The Ringwraiths had found them.

Frodo and the others immediately hurried over to the edge of the Watch-Tower to see the Wraiths coming up the hill.

"GO!" Frodo cried out sharply. He drew the sword that Strider had given to him before he'd left to inspect the landscape surrounding Weathertop from its plain, dark scabbard.

'' Wait! Strider told us to…!'' Merry cried out, but was forcefully shoved on the back by Naruto's palm as the ninja ushered him to run forward and up the stairs towards the top of the watch-tower.

The group retreated in a run to the top of the structure and stopped at the centre of the ruin.

Naruto and Sakura had Merry, Pippin and Sam join the circle around Frodo. They were all to stand back to back, swords and knives at ready for there was no knowing where their enemies would appear before them. But they all had one thought in mind; to protect their friend even if it meant dying.

After a few moments of nerve wracking silence, the Wraiths slowly came out from the shadowy darkness into the light of the moon. There were five of them, and when they all drew their swords in unison, the hiss of metal against the wooden scabbards could be heard clearly in the darkness.

Naruto swallowed as he watched the Wraiths move their weapons into a kind of saluting position; their grips tightened on the handles as they slowly walked towards their quarry. He could hear Sakura's, Frodo's, Sam's, Merry's and Pippin's breathing quicken next to him as their dreaded enemies closed in on them…

The wraiths then positioned their swords in a thrusting stance.

'' Back away everyone! Back away! '' Naruto breathed out.

Everyone did as he ordered and the group backed away in the same formation slowly as the riders approached step by step.

The whole situation was terrifying to them all; but the fear was what was giving the injured blond shinobi his strength to move at the moment without Sakura needing to support him.

But then Sam totally lost his head in the nerve wracking moment.

'' BACK YOU DEVILS!'' he shouted, and lunged recklessly towards the nearest Black Rider.

'' SAM, DON'T…!'' Sakura shrieked, but was too late to grab hold of the brave, but reckless hobbit.

Metal crashed against metal as the hobbit's small sword connected with the huge sword of the wraith in a shower of sparks.

The small hobbit was able to parry the Rider's counter blows for only a short while before he was sent crashing against a stone pillar.

'' SAM!'' the others shouted in unison, but stayed in the formation.

It was Frodo the Riders were after and as far as they knew; their half unconscious friend was much safer than them at the moment.

Pippin and Merry stepped into a tighter circle in front of Frodo, but suddenly their brains felt like they were being flooded with something that felt like a torrent of ice cold water.

Horrible images that may have happened hundreds of years before their time appeared right before their eyes. Blood, death and suffering; that was what they saw.

The two young hobbits fell to their knees on the ground, tears flowing down their cheeks and their eyes held tightly closed against these ghastly images.

The two ninja's throats tightened at the gruesome images being implanted in their heads. Their legs then suddenly collapsed underneath them and the couple fell to the ground.

Frodo was now left wide open. He looked back and forth from one of his companions to the other in despair. He hurried to back away from the terrifying creatures, but slipped and stumbled onto the ground.

The hobbit's sword slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground with a metallic clatter.

The Riders seemed to sense that Frodo was the one carrying the ring. As they approached the hobbit, the Baggins had the familiar, strange urge to take the ring out. As his hand came up from his pocket with the ring clutched onto it, the wraiths senses seemed to be heightened.

As the five approached the terrified hobbit, one of them made an almost unnoticeable hand- sign; one that neither Naruto nor Sakura had ever seen before.

Frodo gasped as the urge to put on the ring became so strong he could no longer ignore it. He slipped the ring on his finger and disappeared!

'' Fr- Frodo… why did you put the ring on you're finger, baka (idiot)? '' Naruto gasped in shock as he saw his friend disappearing into thin air. He struggled to stand up, but found that his legs seemed to no longer be able support his weight.

He dropped to the ground; cold sweat dripped down his face and fell in small drops onto the ground as he stared at the place where Frodo had disappeared into thin-air.

In the unnatural shadow-world, the Baggins was staring up at the faces of the Black Riders in horror. Unlike he had hoped to think, putting on the ring hadn't hid him from the creatures.

Instead, the ring had heightened the senses of the Riders to the point where they could see Frodo without needing to sense his presence.

As they stood there, they seemed taller than they really were; towering over the terrified hobbit. Their keen, merciless eyes contrasted horribly with their ghostly white skin and skeletal features. They wore silver mantles on their heads, and under their mantles they wore long grey robes.

Frodo desperately looked around for his sword that he had dropped on the ground. He found it, after a moment of searching and held it out in front of him. The hobbit's eyes widened in surprise and shock at the sight of it flickering with red light as if it were a firebrand.

Four of the riders halted; the fifth rider stepped forward with it's sword in one hand, and pulled out a long, crude knife from another scabbard with its other hand.

The wraith was taller than the other four; its hair was long and gleaming grey and over the mantle on its head it wore a crown.

It was when the rider lunged towards him, that Frodo felt a strange urge that had nothing to do with the ring. He threw himself to the ground and shouted: '' O Elbereth! Githoniel!''

The shout seemed to make the rider pause with a jolt, as if stopped by some invisible force.

At the same moment, Sakura had figured out that the images she, Naruto, Merry and Pippin were seeing in their heads were illusions; real events taken place in the past but illusions nonetheless.

'' Kai!'' she gasped; her hands moving into a certain hand sign to cancel out the effects of the Genjutsu.

The act chased away a huge portion of the weakness in her limbs. '' KAI!'' she cried, repeating the hand-sign and managing to cancel it out completely.

She sprang to her feet, pulling out one of her kunai from her leg-holster and snatched up the knife Strider had given to her in Bree off the ground she'd dropped it on when the horrible images from the genjutsu had entered her mind, before hurrying to where the Black Rider was closing in on Frodo. The kunoichi couldn't see the dark haired haired hobbit with her eyes, but she could sense the hobbit's presence.

When the rider lunged towards her friend a second time, Sakura threw herself in front of the hobbit, her weapons poised in a position of a cross. She winced as the three weapons crashed against each other so hard that sparks flew everywhere and gagged, as the motion had her in a very close contact with the dreaded creature's putrid breath as the two tried to overwhelm the other with raw strength.

The kunoichi gritted her teeth and put her whole weight in the pushing, despite the putrid smell assaulting her nostrils; her arms shook with effort as she fought to keep them in position.

The rider was unnaturally strong for someone so thin looking and bony, but that was to be expected with them being Ringwraiths that were neither living or dead.

'' Sauron and his rings, kuso ( shit)!'' Sakura thought inwardly, gasping with effort. '' That thrice cursed monster has given these things inhuman strength! Gah!''

She brought forth chakra and guided it to her arms. Immediately her arms stopped shaking. '' Where the hell is Strider when we really need h… GAH!''

She choked, as a metal fist-guard struck her forcefully in the stomach; then a second hit impacted with her sternum. The strength of the impacts sent the pink haired kunoichi flying face down on the old worn slabs of stone near Frodo.

'' SAKURA! '' she heard the dark haired hobbit cry out as she coughed up the blood that had risen up her throat. Wincing and holding her chest, Sakura struggled to stand up, but was given a boot to the chest.

The two riders who had halted behind the fifth had stepped into the fray and were teaming up on the young woman.

She cried out as she was kicked viciously on her back on the cold stone ground.

'' S-Sa-Sakura…! '' Naruto moaned, struggling back up to his knees; his blue eyes were watching in horror as one rider moved to stand directly on top of his girlfriend's arms, and the other lifted his booted foot on the young woman's chest.

Now unhindered, the leader of the Five Riders approached with its sword poised towards the terrified Frodo Baggins. It held out it's hand for the ring, and the hobbit found to his shock that the ring had taken control of his hand; it forced his hand closer and closer to the wraith.

At the last second, Frodo used every ounce of his willpower to pull his hand away from the rider, whom gave a hiss of anger at the hobbit's action and swung its long knife downwards.

"AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

Frodo's sharp, agonised yell of pain could have been heard miles away by anyone wandering in the wilderness, when the sharp weapon pierced through the flesh on the Baggins's left shoulder.

The hobbit then gave a half scream, half sob of agony as the wraith pulled it's blade out of his shoulder to strike again, this time aiming straight towards Frodo's heart.

'' Mr Fr- Frodo!'' Sam moaned, pulling himself dizzily to his knees; he had a deep cut over his forehead from a jagged rock that was oozing blood that dripped over his eyes and a large bump that was bruising a dark blue colour. '' Sa- Sakura! Na-Naruto! M- Merry! Pi- Pippin…!''

Slowly and painfully, he crawled over to where the blond ninja and his fellow hobbits were curled up on the ground in emotional turmoil from the illusions evading their conscience. Sam stopped crawling when he reached the place, where Pippin was pressing his forehead against the stone ground, whimpering and with tears dripping down his cheeks.

'' What's happening to you three?'' Sam cried out, putting a hand on Pippin's shoulder; he was shocked, when his friend flinched away from his touch.

'' It's some sort of… Gen-Genjutsu! I… can't… move… my arms,'' Naruto spoke through laboured breathing; sweat continued to drip down his face.'' It's like… I am… paralyzed again; like in… the ''Prancing… Pony! The Black Riders…are preventing me… from… using my… hands to… cancel the… Genjutsu!''

'' Genjutsu? So you, Merry and Pippin are having illusions that are keeping you all on the ground petrified!'' Sam asked, panicking. He then noticed the absence of two of their friends.

Gasping, the blond hobbit turned his head quickly from side to side; his eyes widening upon noticing Sakura's predicament. '' Oh my lord! Sakura's in trouble, and where in the name of the Shire is Mr Frodo? I heard him crying out in pain just now. ''

Naruto said nothing as he struggled to stand up again. His blue eyes becoming dangerously narrow as fury began to seep into his soul at the sight of his girlfriend lying flat on her back on the hard, stone flooring; and for the riders to have hurt the hobbit he saw as his brother.

Sam jolted and backed away at the sight of absolute rage on the Kyuubi containers face; he was pulling the petrified, shaking Merry and Pippin with him as red chakra began to form around the young man.

Meanwhile, in her position on the ground, Sakura was struggling to free her arms from under the heavy, metalled boot of the Black Rider. For her to be able to use Kawarimi no Jutsu (substitution technique), she needed to free her hands. When they wouldn't budge, she struggled harder and was rewarded with a kick to the stomach.

Sakura felt the air leave her lungs and blood rising up her throat. She coughed, and felt blood dripping down the corners of her mouth.

She couldn't see Frodo, with the hobbit being invisible and one of the riders blocking her vision, but she heard Frodo whimpering in agony all too clearly. '' F-Frodo…!'' she gasped, struggling even harder to free herself despite the pain in her torso.

Crack, crack!

Sakura winced and gasped for breath, when one of the Riders pressed down against her sternum; she heard disconcerting cracking noises, and felt sharp pain flooding her senses. She closed her eyes; then, the pressure was lifted…

WHUMP!

CRACK!

The young woman's strangled scream of agony cut through the air like a knife. The metalled boot of the rider torturing her had crashed down on her ribs. This time, she clearly heard and felt at least two ribs snap under the pressure.

WHUMP!

CRACK!

Another scream forced itself out of Sakura's throat; she coughed helplessly and felt warm blood forcing itself out and dripping down the side of her mouth. The pain in her torso was enough to have her break into tears of pain and frustration over her weakness and inability to get herself out of the situation.

She blinked hard to clear her vision that was becoming foggy and unclear and gritted her teeth.

The rider lifted it's booted foot to stomp on her for the third time, but a sudden explosion of chakra almost blasted the creature off its feet. It quickly lowered its foot and turned its attention to the source of the power.

Groaning, Sakura weakly turned her head to the side; her green eyes widened in shock and apprehension. '' N-no… Na-Naruto…!'' she coughed out.

Naruto's blue eyes had turned a deep red colour; the pupils were slitted and fox-like, and red chakra was enveloping his whole body like a cloak. Nevertheless he still looked to be in control as he crouched to lunge in the direction of the Black Riders standing by the pink haired woman.

Just as he was about to lunge, Strider jumped out of the shadows with his sword held in one hand and the other grasping a flaming torch.

Not wasting time, the Ranger had the two Black Riders backing away from the pink haired medic ninja by brandishing the flames at them, while parrying their sword attacks with his long sword. But it wasn't without effort; the strain was clear on the man's face as he parried the blows with one hand.

It felt almost ludicrous to see it happening in front of her eyes, but having studied chakra-channeling in the ninja- academy, Sakura soon recognised the signs of chakra use. The tall Ranger was using chakra to strengthen his sword arm, and it didn't seem to be happening by accident.

Strider's chakra channeling was strong and controlled, meaning that someone well trained had taught him the that skill.

CLANNGG!

The metallic crash jolted the kunoichi out of the momentary shock she had been subjected to. Seeing that the riders were much occupied at the moment, Sakura spared one last glance in Strider's direction before crawling to where she was hearing Frodo whimpering in agony.

She just hoped Naruto wouldn't snap, despite the huge change in his appearance at the moment and the dangerous level of chakra emitting from him.

When the kunoichi reached Frodo, she gently lowered a hand on his shoulder. She felt him jump and then whimper at the pain flashing over his injury.

'' Frodo? It's me, Sakura!'' Sakura whispered calmingly.

A few moments of silence; then there was a soft popping sound and Frodo became visible to the eye.

'' It…h-hurts,'' Frodo moaned quietly, clutching the area where the Black Rider's sword had pierced into his skin.

Sakura looked sorrowfully at the hobbit; she was angry at herself for not having been able to spare her friend from getting wounded by the Black Riders.

She slid one arm under Frodo's legs and circled the other over Frodo's back and winced as she pushed herself to her feet. The kunoichi then turned around to hurry to the place where Sam, Merry and Pippin were huddled together, when a sudden red blur ran past her and Frodo.

Sakura turned to look; terrified, yet wanting to see what was to happen.

She knew who it had been, and she cursed all the living gods for the unfortunate luck they seemed to have; Naruto was on a rampage.

What happened next was too quick for Sam and Frodo to see clearly, (and to Merry and Pippin if they had been lucid at that moment), but those who could still follow with their eyes saw Naruto run past Sakura and Frodo in all-fours like a fox, his lengthened, sharp fingernails outstretched in front of him.

Strider, who had been turning around to lock swords with another rider, after setting one of them fleeing from Weathertop with it's body burning like a bonfire lit from a torch, barely noticed the movement coming from behind him. He leaned to the left to avoid full contact, but still felt something sharp digging deeply into his flesh.

The sharp shout of pain that issued from his mouth made the hobbits shudder from where they kneeled huddled together.

Sakura jolted, and almost slid to her knees in shock at seeing Naruto's claws dug deep into the flesh of the Ranger's right arm.

Strider gritted his teeth and stared down in the red eyes of his attacker. '' So… this is Naruto's Kyuubi form.'' he thought, wincing in agony as the sharp claws slid down his arm, leaving a bloody trail in its wake.

But he had no time to think about the damage done to his arm, because he sensed movement behind him.

Breathing deeply, he peered behind him with the corner of his eyes and saw two Black Riders approaching him while his back was turned.

Cursing his unfortunate situation, the Ranger brought up the hand holding the burning torch and slashed the flames across Naruto's face. He winced in remorse as the young man let out a howl of pain and pulled back the hand that had been stained with the Strider's blood.

When the blond finally turned to look at Strider again, the ranger saw that what he had done had snapped Naruto out of his momentary madness. His red, Kyuubified eyes turned back to their normal blue, but the expression on his face was that of shock and there was a small burn mark that ran from one side of his head to the other.

But there was no time to get over what had happened, for as soon as the riders noticed an opening in their enemies guard, they attacked.

'' HEADS UP!'' Naruto shouted, pulling out several of his kunai.

Strider instinctively ducked and rolled aside before jumping to his feet again as the kunai flew towards their target.

The kunai hit the Black Riders, but much to Naruto's anger, the weapons did no damage to them.

Growling under his breath, the shinobi dug his hand into one of his weapon holsters, pulled out the knife Strider had given to him in Bree and stopped one of the Riders assaults.

The Ranger set another Rider on fire and locked weapons with the one attacking him from behind.

Together, the two men kept the riders occupied as Sakura made her way to the place Sam, Merry and Pippin were sitting; the two younger hobbits were no longer under the influence of the Genjutsu.

'' What happened to Frodo?'' Sam exclaimed immediately as the young woman crouched down on the cool slabs of stone and gently lowered his master on the ground before him, Merry and Pippin.

Sakura mentally shook her head at the blond hobbits almost frantic tone of voice and the endearing way Sam took Frodo's hand to squeeze it gently to give the dark haired hobbit comfort.

It was heart-warming to see just how much the gardener loved Frodo as a best friend and master.

'' He was stabbed. '' Sakura answered shortly, her voice tight with apprehension. She turned to stare in the direction where Naruto and Strider were still battling the Black Riders whom seemed reluctant to abandon the one they sought.

She sighed shakily and raked a hand through her long pink hair; she was relieved that Naruto's eyes were blue again, his whisker marks smaller, his nails and teeth no longer sharp and elongitated and the Kyuubi's chakra surrounding his body completely gone.

Her nervousness was so pronounced that when she felt a hand on her arm, she recoiled away from the touch and spun around to come face to face with a startled Pippin.

The poor hobbit uttered a small gasp and leaped backwards when Sakura's fist moved towards his chest. He landed in a crouch, having missed the kunoichi's fist by millimeters.

'' Are you okay, Sakura?'' Pippin managed to ask shakily, staring at the dried blood that had trailed down the corners of her mouth and the sides of her neck; and the way she was clutching at her ribs with her left arm.

'' Just very distracted. I'm sorry for almost punching you, Pippin. '' Sakura answered with remorse ringing in her voice at having almost caused harm upon the young, brown haired hobbit.

Pippin opened his mouth, wanting to tell her that he wasn't holding a grudge towards her for what had almost happened, when his eyes suddenly picked up a strange shadow moving behind a pillar. With a sudden move, the young hobbit jumped to his feet and pulled his knife from the sheath attached to his belt.

Snapping into awareness by the hobbits sudden movement, Sakura pulled herself on her feet quickly and moved to stand right in front of the four hobbits. Her hand slipped into her weapon-pouch to grab a few kunai and shuriken,

The shadow had been one of the Black Riders; and it was now lunging towards them.

Merry and Sam pulled out their knives and jumped to their feet; they were noticeably scared, but determined to protect Frodo this time around.

WHOOSSHHH!

Sakura ducked as a flaming torch sailed through the air and struck the Rider attacking her and the hobbits.

The Rider screeched in pain and fear as it's clothes burst into huge flames. With ear- piercing wails, it fled into the shadows of the Tower of Weathertop.

Letting a sigh of relief pass through her lips, Sakura climbed to her feet and turned to look at the Ranger standing close by. Strider had thrown the torch; she was sure of it.

'' SAKURA!

Sakura didn't have time to turn around to face the person shouting her name, when she was suddenly pulled into hug.

'' Naruto! '' She whispered, turning in the embrace to face her boyfriend.

'' I…I lost control again, Sakura.'' Naruto whispered, burying his face in Sakura's soft hair. '' Damn it!'' the Kyuubi container cursed, digging his fingernails in his palms hard enough to draw blood. '' I can't believe that I'm so weak as to let myself be controlled again; this is the second time here in Middle Earth, that I've hurt someone I never meant to! I asked for a small amount of chakra from the stupid fox, but instead it gave me too much of it. I was given the chakra, then at some point I think I blacked as his energy wrapped around me. That's why… my conscience was stolen from me for a short amount of time. ''

Sakura tightened the grip she had on Naruto's voice. She wanted to say something: anything that would reassure the young man, but she couldn't find the words.

But when a cry of pain issued from Frodo's lips, both the ninja's attention turned upon the injured hobbit.

Naruto gently pulled away from his girlfriend and ran towards the others who were surrounding Frodo. His face was etched with worry as he crouched down next to Sam. But as he did so, he couldn't help but notice that Sam flinched and eyed him nervously when he crouched down next to their friend.

Strider surveyed the ruin one more time before turning on his heels. Then, he happened to notice the long knife that had been held in the hands of one of the Black Riders; its edge was notched and the point was broken off.

He crouched to retrieve it from the ground before standing up straight.

Stumbling slightly, the man then walked over to the rest of the travelling- party and slid to his knees before the injured Baggins. Gently, the Ranger pushed Pippin aside and crouched down on the other side of Frodo.

" Please help him, Strider!" Sam pleaded, as Frodo clutched a hand to his shoulder whilst whimpering in agony.

'' He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade." Strider announced his face visibly paler than normal.

The said blade suddenly just dissolves into dust in Strider's hand. Grimacing in disgust, the tall man dropped it on the ground.

'' But then that means that… Frodo is in…! " Sakura gasped in horror and despair from where she was crouching next to Naruto.

"Yes, Frodo is now in the same kind of danger as Naruto. ''Strider said, closing his eyes for a moment as a twinge of pain radiated from his slashed arm. '' He has been poisoned."

He then said as he picked up Frodo, who was crying out softly and his face was contorting in obvious pain.'' And like with Naruto, this is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine."

'' Strider, your injured. '' Sakura said worriedly, eyeing the Ranger's bleeding arm. '' Maybe you should let me carry Fr…''

'' I can handle carrying Frodo just fine. '' Strider said firmly as he stood up.

Sam, Merry and Pippin scrambled to their feet in an instant and hurried off to retrieve their belongings and Bill the pony. Naruto pulled a sligtly wincing Sakura to her feet.

'' Let's go!'' Strider continued shortly; his face was hidden in the shadows of the closest pillar. He turned around to make eye contact with Naruto for a very short moment before turning his face away from the blond ninja.

He then began walking quickly in one direction where the hobbits had headed with Naruto and Sakura stumbling along behind him.

Naruto's head reeled at the shock of having seen suspicion, apprehension and fear in the Ranger's eyes during the short moment that Strider had made eye contact with him.

"Hurry!" Strider's voice was heard commanding from the front of the group.

Naruto hid his emotional pain from everyone and jogged along with the group as they rushed along as fast as they could. All of them were intent on saving Frodo.

"We're six days from Rivendell!" Sam exclaimed with fear in his eyes. "He'll never make it that far!"

"We will just have to hope that he fights the poisoning.'' Sakura stated from behind Bill the pony; she was panting and clutching at her broken, aching ribs with her right arm. She winced in sympathy as her ears picked up the sound of Frodo muttering Gandalf's name under his breath

The poor hobbit even looked like he was going to scream in agony.

"Hold on, Frodo!" Strider mumbled concernedly to the ailing hobbit. He deftly picked up the pace.

" GANDALF!" Frodo yelled out in agony; the cold, biting flame of pain raging inside his body was too agonizing. He couldn't understand why Gandalf hadn't come to Bree when he had said he would. The hobbit wanted to see the old wizard again; he wanted it so much that it overrode his longing to rid himself of the burden of carrying the ring with him. His vision quickly turned blurry, and his ears no longer picked up the voice of Strider forcefully telling him to stay awake.

He fell into unconsciousness.

The group travelled far from Weathertop; they took the route through the underbrush of the forest with Strider leading again with the still unconscious Frodo held in his arms; Merry and Pippin were next followed by Sam and Bill the pony.

Naruto and Sakura were bringing up the rear. The young woman was gritting her teeth against the stabbing pain in her broken ribs whilst being supported by her boyfriend.

The Kyuubi-vessel was feeling strangely normal at the moment. He didn't know why it was exactly, but it felt like a warm flame had been lit inside him; a flame that didn't burn his skin but rather chased away the poison threatening to make his insides feel like they'd been turned into ice. One very likely reason was that the fox had left something for him so he would be able to continue on the journey feeling semi-normal for who knew how long.

When they later stopped at a sheltered place in the forest, Strider sat down on a big stone to have his arm cleaned and bandaged by the young medic-ninja. The two of them silently watched Naruto, Merry and Pippin set up a temporary campsite and Sam who was tending to Frodo's needs.

But as soon as Sakura finished tying off the last of the bandage, Strider stood up and asked her and Naruto to keep an eye on the four hobbits. He then walked towards the trees and disappeared into their shadows.

It had been several hours ago since Strider had disappeared into the woods, and there had been no sign of the Ranger since then.

Sakura was sitting on the long grass, bracing her back against Naruto's knees; her broken ribs had been bound tightly with bandages to keep them from moving and damaging her further.

Naruto was standing up whilst leaning his back against a huge boulder; his sky blue eyes, which at the moment were much brighter than they had been in days, were staring out in the darkness.

Frodo was awake and lying on his back near the fire with the Ranger's cloak wrapped around him.

'' How long do you think we will have to wait for Strider? '' Naruto murmured to Sakura. He winced inwardly at the use of the Ranger's name; Strider hadn't spoken directly to him since the disaster on Weathertop. Instead, he only spoke to him when it included everyone else from their traveling-party.

'' He has a rather bad habit at arriving at the last moment when things get dangerous.'' Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes; inner Sakura was currently yelling curses at the greasy haired, weather- beaten Ranger.

'' Hmph… as long as whatever he is doing doesn't take too much time.'' Naruto murmured nervously. '' I'm nervous about the Black Riders returning whilst he is out tramping in the woods somewhere.''

In truth, he was nervous about the Black Riders, but there was another reason. He and Strider didn't get the change to sort things over what had occurred on Weathertop, so he wanted to have a talk with the older man and apologise for what he had done whilst Kyuubi had him in control. Then maybe the Ranger would start acting normal around him again.

'' If he takes longer than the three hours he has been gone already, then he will have acted a little too much like Kakashi- sensei!'' Sakura huffed in answer, crossing her arms around her chest.

Naruto choked in surprise and almost lost balance at Sakura's sudden mention of their always late, sometimes lazy, silver haired Jounin- sensei.

'' Hatake Kakashi?'' Frodo croaked dryly, having listened to the two ninja's conversation. '' You mean THE Hatake Kakashi with the silver hair?''

'' The man wearing a forehead-protector over his left eyes?'' Merry continued with a snigger as he remembered some of the earlier tales he'd heard of Naruto's and Sakura's life.

'' The one who is always late?'' Pippin piped in with an amused chuckle.

'' The man who comes up with the most ridiculous of tales as to why he is late for everything.'' Sam said, rolling his eyes at the pitch-black sky.''

He paused for a moment and then said sarcastically:_'' For example_: _Oh, I'm sorry I'm late, but a cart of cabbages and carrots was run over by a group of kids this morning and I stopped to help the __owner pick up the vegetables.'_' the blond haired hobbit said sarcastically. '' And you said he always reads those awful books your other sensei, the toad- hermit, likes to write about. ''

Silence followed Sam's words. Looks were exchanged between everyone in the campsite.

Then…

The camp was suddenly ringing with laughter as everyone tried to imagine Strider wearing a forehead- protector over his left eye and having tall, puffy hair that resembled Kakashi's, except for the colour. And the icing to the cake was the image of the small, orange book called ¨Icha Icha Paradise¨ the silver haired jounin usually was so engrossed with in Strider's hand as the Ranger blushed and giggled like a pervert.

'' You really think Strider has a lot of likeness to your old Jounin- sensei?'' Pippin coughed out finally, still rolling on the ground in mirth.

'' In the case of chronic-tardiness?'' Sakura asked with a smirk. '' No one beats our former sensei in that area, but in the case of keeping his earlier life a secret from others, those two men are pretty similar.''

'' You know what, I think Strider would most likely kill me if I ever told him what kind of image I had in my head just now. '' Frodo said weakly, but he had a huge, amused grin on his face. '' And you, Sakura, seem to have an obsession over trying to find similarities between people you know. Just earlier today you told me that there are similarities between Naruto and Strider!''

Thump!

Sakura let out a small yip as her back was jostled; Naruto had lost his balance over the shock Frodo's words had caused him and was now picking himself off the ground. There was a huge sweat-drop on the side of his head as he listened to the laughter of Merry, Pippin and even Sam who was poking at the burning faggots with a stick.

Meanwhile in Konoha…

A tall man wearing the traditional green Jounin vest was sneezing several times as he crouched before a square shaped stone with dozens of names carved into its surface.

It was raining cats and dogs, and the sky was dark from the dense rain-clouds floating over the village but the silver haired man barely noticed the water dripping down his hair, clothes and face.

'' Kakashi!''

The copy- ninja turned to look at the person who had spoken. He cringed inwardly but showed no outward emotion when he saw that it was the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade, walking towards him with an admonishing look on her face.

She may have looked the age of twenty, but in reality she was over fifty years old; she had long blond hair in two low ponytails and her eyes were a soft honey- brown colour.

'' What is it that you want, Hokage- sama?'' Kakashi asked quietly.

'' I want you to stop blaming yourself for what happened to Naruto and Sakura, '' Tsunade said firmly. '' You may have not told me outwardly, that you are no longer blaming yourself for what happened, but everyone's noticed that you have been arriving much later than usual. You need to get your act together and start accepting that what's happened, happened. If what Tora Akame said was true, my apprentice and Naruto are alive in Middle Earth. Besides, you had no idea that he would have used you in such a way. It's NOT your fault that you were hypnotised!''

'' I was fool enough to go learning something from him, '' Kakashi snapped, turning to look at the Memorial stone where so many of the names of the ninja's of Konoha had been carved. '' I trusted my own decision at the time, but once again my decision lands me in a spot where I realise that I shouldn't have made such a decision! First it was Uchiha Obito who died because of a decision I should not have made; I had said that the mission we had been given was more important then saving Rin from the ninja whom kidnapped her.''

Kakashi took a deep breath before continuing. '' It was Obito who said that people who don't obey rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse then trash before leaving on his own to save our third team-mate.''

He paused for a moment as the pain of remembering came too much for him.

Tsunade stared at the Jounin in silence. She had never been told of this. And usually Kakashi wasn't so open in telling others of his past, but apparently having Naruto and Sakura disappearing into another world right before his eyes had shaken him up pretty badly.

'' I did eventually follow Obito, and we may have saved Rin, but Obito was killed. Then, after I became a sensei years later, I made a foolish decision to teach Uchiha Sasuke my Chidori- attack because I believed it would be a good defence against Gaara, in the Chuunin exams. And now, because of my decision to trust Tora Akame in teaching me how to upgrade my Sharingan, I've put the last of my team in danger; whatever danger they will find in the other world.''

Tsunade took a step forward and lowered a hand on the Hatake's shoulder, squeezing it gently to give him some comfort. '' I trust you wanted to become their team-leader once Naruto returned, because you wanted to make up for your past mistakes. Didn't you?''

Kakashi nodded with a sad look in his one visible eye.'' I did, but it seems like I won't get the change now. Their out of my reach; both of them.''

At the same time in Middle Earth…

'' In what area am I similar to Strider, pray tell?'' Naruto squeaked rather weakly, waving his hands around like a windmill.

Sakura giggled at the look on her boyfriend's face and was about to answer, when…

'' As interesting as this conversation is, we have more important things to talk about.'' a familiar, serious voice was heard speaking right behind the large boulder Naruto had been leaning against.

The sudden words issuing from Strider's mouth made Merry, Pippin, Sakura and Naruto jump to their feet with squawks of surprise.

Sam flinched and spilled some of the water of his water-skin he'd been holding against Frodo's lips down his friend's shirt- collar.

Frodo choked on the water he'd been about to swallow and turned to the side to cough out the water that had slipped down his windpipe.

''STRIDER!'' was the loud, surprised and angered shout that was heard from almost everyone, except for Frodo, who was still coughing out water.

'' Where in the seven hells have you been, Strider?'' Sakura hissed reproachfully as she stood up and walked to stand right in front of the tall ranger. It was a pretty funny sight to see, for Strider towered the slight built kunoichi with his height that was over six point four feet.

'' I went back to Weathertop. '' Strider said calmly, looking down at the angry kunoichi. '' I was trying to discover some pattern in our enemies movements, but I have yet to find anything to explain why the Black Riders haven't returned to attack us a second time.''

'' Did it occur to you that they could have returned when you were off on Weathertop and then who knows where?''

'' It did occur to me. I knew it was a risk to go back to Weathertop and leave you here, but you and Naruto would have been capable of guarding the hobbits if the Riders had returned.'' Strider answered sternly.

'' Like we did at Weathertop?'' Sakura hissed through clenched teeth. '' You saw what happened there for the love of Kami! Frodo got hurt, Sam got slammed into a pillar. Naruto, Merry, Pippin and I got caught in some kind of Genjutsu, I received broken ribs and Naruto went berserk over me and Frodo getting injured! So please tell me how, we could have been able to avoid a situation like that happening again if the Riders had returned?''

'' If you had had the mind to grab the torch I left on the ground near Sam's travelling- pack and shove it into the flames, you would have had a weapon to use against the riders!'' Strider said admonishingly. '' I had sensed the Riders were near Weathertop, so I returned to the campsite and specifically told Merry, Pippin and Sam to light a small camp- fire. If you're wondering why I told them to do that, then the answer is simply that the riders fear fire.''

'' And Sakura, Frodo and I didn't know that because you returned while we were fast asleep.'' Naruto cut in quietly; from the corner of his eye, he could see that Frodo was looking very upset. It was obvious that he was beating himself mentally for having shouted obscene names at Sam, Merry and Pippin for lighting a fire on Weathertop.

He also remembered that Merry had tried to tell them all to take the torch from near Sam's travelling-pack and light it with the campfire, but instead of stopping to listen he had urged the young hobbit to run up the stone staircase.

'' So, what do you think the Riders are planning to do?'' the blond ninja then asked the older man concernedly.

'' As you may have noticed, there were only five of the riders attacking us on Weathertop, '' Strider spoke,'' but I don't know why that is. But I don't think they expected such fierce resistance from us; and so they've retreated for now and attack us some other night.''

'' There's something else, isn't there, Strider?'' Sakura asked quickly.

'' Yes, if I'm correct in my thinking, the Riders believe that their purpose is almost accomplished, '' the Ranger went on.'' In other words, they believe Frodo has a deadly wound that will subdue him to their will.''

Sam abruptly choked from tears of despair, which had Strider turn his attention to the blond haired hobbit most loyal to Frodo.

'' Do not despair!'' he said kindly, putting a hand on Sam's shoulder. '' I think your master will resist the power of the wound longer than his enemies think. He has a lot of reasons why he should resist the power, with him having such loyal friends.'' he then paused for a moment and turned to Naruto with an unreadable look on his face.

'' Naruto, how are you feeling at this moment?'' he asked.

The blond ninja looked momentarily startled by Strider's question, but answered: '' I feel pretty much normal at the moment, but I don't know how long the lingering feeling will last.''

'' Then, if you are feeling like you can still walk a long distance, than I suppose you wouldn't mind coming with me! I'm going back to Weathertop to look for something that may be of help to Frodo's predicament.'' Strider said calmly, but seriously; his keen, sharp grey eyes were boring into the blond's clear blue ones.

Naruto's eyes widened as he caught wind of the underlying meaning behind the older man's words; the ranger wanted to have a talk with him in private, without anyone else from their group overhearing.

'' Sure, if Sakura is well enough to take on guard duty till were back!'' he answered neutrally; but though he acted calm on the outside, his heart was beating like a drum against his ribcage. He was afraid of what kind of conversation he would have with Strider, but even more afraid for the safety of his girlfriend, Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam.

He looked up into Sakura's beautiful green eyes and saw understanding; he nearly laughed out loud as he realized that she had figured out the underlying meaning behind Strider asking him to accompany him to Weathertop. _'' Smart as always, eh, Sakura? ''_ Naruto chuckled inwardly.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss against his girlfriend's soft pink lips. He tried to make it a short one, but Sakura grabbed him by the blond locks of hair falling over his forehead to prevent him from escaping. She deepened the kiss for a moment before pulling back slowly, leaving a healthy red hue to appear on the young man's cheeks.

Naruto coughed nervously as he heard the soft catcalls echoing from the two youngest hobbits, and quickly straightened his back. He then walked over to where Strider was silently standing, silently thanking the gods that Sam and Frodo seemed less affected by the show of affection between Sakura and himself.

'' What exactly are you trying to find at Weathertop?'' Merry piped in suddenly, his excited expression at seeing Naruto and Sakura kiss sobering to that of concern. His eyes were darting in every direction of the woods around them.

'' I can't tell you anything before I actually find something, Merry?'' Strider said calmly; he blatantly left out the details that he had already found something important. '' Keep the fire going well, and keep Frodo warm and guarded until Naruto and I return!''

Sometime later Frodo, who was dozing near the fire under the surveillance of Sam, stirred a little and blearily opened his eyes when Sakura spoke up. She was leaning against the same large boulder Naruto had been leaning against earlier, her voice underlined with noticeable worry as she was having a quiet talk with Merry and Pippin.

He strained his ears, wanting to hear the the topic of the conversation they were so engrossed in.

'' I… I do not mean to pry, but have any of you become more wary towards Naruto after the incident at Weathertop?'' Sakura was saying quietly. '' I mean, when the Kyuubi'ss chakra started leaking out of him; and when he lost control and injured Strider!''

'' I have to admit I was scared, but it wasn't for the reason you've told and secondly, how can I give an opinion when all I can do is to relate to what Sam saw. '' Merry answered thoughtfully; he shivered slightly. '' I was scared of the images still being planted in my head.''

Pippin nodded in agreement to Merry's words, before saying: '' I saw nothing of it, either, Sakura!''

'' Of course! The Genjutsu! '' Sakura gasped out. '' You were still under the Genjutsu when the Kyuubi's chakra started leaking out. Your's and Pippin's minds were basically still stuck in the images that weren't real.''

'' Then that means Merry and Pippin still don't know what its like when Naruto gets controlled by Kyuubi!'' Sam cut in; his voice was surprisingly cold. '' They haven't witnessed Naruto trying to take the ring from Frodo! They didn't see Naruto being slammed against the wall and then being held down by Gandalf's magic! They weren't there to see you, Sakura, being struck on the head and see you tumble across the room!''

Sam paused for a moment as his voice turned croaky. He cleared his throat and brushed a hand over his eyes as he stared down at the ground with his hands clenched into fists. '' Still, he is my friend. A friend who is willing to put his own life at risk to help others. He did that by saving Frodo on the other side of Brandywine Bridge, and he paid the price for it with the wound on his shoulder. But I… I made a mistake in Bag End; a mistake that almost everyone in Konoha has made. I made the mistake of having called Naruto a monster…''

Sam paused again for a moment to take a deep breath.'' But he is not a monster!'' he said quietly.'' Well, he doesn't become a monster when he isn't using Kyuubi's chakra, but whenever he starts relying it's power I get the shivers. I wish you, Sakura, could somehow make Naruto understand that I can't continue to fully trust him if he doesn't stop relying on the treacherous creature's chakra.''

'' Sam…!'' Sakura whispered; her brows furrowed as she listened to what the hobbit was saying.

'' Please, Sakura!'' Sam whispered pleadingly. '' I stopped acting weird around Naruto after he saved Frodo's life, but what happened at Weathertop has made me edgy. Until I'm sure he isn't of any danger to my master and friend Mr Frodo, I just won't be able to act normally around him; and normal means not being afraid of him which I am right now.I hope you can make him understand that, Sakura.''

'' Sam. '' the quiet, tired voice of Frodo speaking suddenly had everyone's attention. '' You can't protect me from everything. Please, try to act normally whenever Naruto is in our presence. If you start flinching and avoiding him, you'll be causing him pain. And yes, he is our friend and friendships should be treasured. But I'm not forcing you to do anything without your own free will, Sam. I'm just giving you advice. You do what you think is best.''

'' You are both right, but none of us should expect Sam to forgive Naruto every time he uses the demon's chakra! If I can get him to see reason, then perhaps…'' Sakura sighed; she ran a hand through her pink locks of hair. '' Naruto's always been rambunctious and tends to act before thinking.''

'' But his mellowed out, hasn't he?'' Merry said worriedly. '' He isn't as wild as he had been when you became genin; or even as wild as he was two years ago when you saw him returning to Konoha! Perhaps he will see reason if you'll explain how it makes others feel when he uses the Kyuubi's power!''

'' Maybe I don't need to.'' Sakura said thoughtfully. '' Maybe Strider's words will make a difference.''

'' Is that why he asked Naruto to accompany him to Weathertop?'' Pippin asked.

'' Yes, Strider want's to have a private talk with him and…'' Sakura said but was cut off again.

'' Show Naruto the wound! '' Frodo finished, frowning. He winced at the memory of having seen the ugly jagged edged slash wounds on the ranger's arm for a short amount of time.

Sakura nodded, and turned to look back at the forest around them.

No one spoke. They were all lost deeply in thought.

The young kunoichi's eyes turned to the darkened sky a moment later as she wondered how Naruto's conversation with Strider was going.

Meanwhile on Weathertop, Strider was crouched over the handle of the weapon that was once a long thin knife; it had melted and dissolved into dust when the tall Ranger had first touched it.

Naruto watched in horrid fascination at the cold gleam of the handle.'' The weapon that injured Frodo! '' he stated quietly.

Strider nodded silently and took out a cloth; he wrapped it tightly around what was left of the Morgul Blade in it.'' Naruto, why did you decide to use Kyuubi's chakra?'' the man asked as he turned to stare at the blond ninja.

Naruto jolted; he had expected to hear this question being asked at some point, but it had come so suddenly and without warning.

He and Strider had spent the walk to Weathertop in silence, but the atmosphere had been neutral; not tense, but not friendly either.

'' I… I did it because Sakura and Frodo were in trouble.'' he answered with a small sigh. '' The Black Riders had me completely paralyzed which could be explained with the wound on my shoulder.''

'' The wound done with a Morgul Blade.'' Strider said thoughtfully. '' The Black Riders were messing up with your conscience; taking control of you like Kyuubi took over your mind when he was giving you his chakra…''

Naruto winced and turned away.

'' Which resulted in me getting injured.'' Strider finished with a stern look on his face. He gripped Naruto's shoulder and forced the young man to turn around; his grey eyes bored into the ninja's clear sky blue eyes. '' You should have already realized, that trusting solely on the demon's chakra can only end up in disaster in the long run. You can make your own decisions but understand that whatever decisions you make also affect those silent ones walking alongside you!''

'' _Sakura, Frodo, Merry, Pippin… and Sam.'' _Naruto thought inwardly; his hands clenched into fists. _'' Strider, Gandalf and everyone in the Shire.''_

'' Do you remember when Sam took me aside after Naruto had finished putting on my bandages? '' Strider asked.

Naruto could only nod.

'' We had a heart to heart talk. He's wondering if you can really be trustworthy. ''

The young ninja felt his heart grow heavier; it felt like a rock was pressing down on it. '' _Kami, not again!'' _he thought silently. He felt a sting in his eyes and raked a hand over them to wipe out any escaping tear.

'' Merry and Pippin have really not witnessed you loosing control. '' Strider went on.'' Their minds were not aware of what was happening around them.''

'' Because of the Genjutsu.'' Naruto stated. His voice was audibly sad.

'' Yes, and I'd like it to remain innocent to the affects of a berserk Naruto Uzumaki!'' Strider said quietly.'' I want you to refrain from using the power of Kyuubi in any circumstance from now on. Next time your friends will very likely not be under an illusion. Sam already doubts your loyalty. Sakura and Frodo know what could happen in a worse case scenario but they still remain faithful to you; though I'm sure the both of them are afraid of what could happen if you become completely berserk!''

Naruto winced and let out a shuddering breath as he looked straight into Strider's hard grey eyes.

'' You really want Merry and Pippin to start doubting you?''

'' No!'' the blond whispered, shaking his head. '' No I don't want to loose Merry's and Pippin's trust in me; and neither do I want to loose Sakura's and Frodo's. I also want Sam to be able to trust me again.''

'' If you loose control like when you did here at Weathertop…'' Strider went on; he pushed up his sleeve to reveal the white bandages underneath. The Ranger began unwinding the bandages under the watchful eyes of the Kyuubi-vessel. '' This could very well happen to either one of your companions.'' he finished, pulling off the last of the bandages.

Naruto looked slightly ill at the sight of the five ugly, deep slash wounds that slithered down from the Ranger's upper- arm down to the man's wrist.

He had to look away for a moment; his eyes closed tightly shut as he held in the bile rising up in his throat.

His thoughts whirled around what could have happened to his dear Sakura, the girl he had loved since he could remember, or Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam; each and every one of them could have been on the receiving end of those slash marks.

''Strider…'' Naruto whispered…'' I'm so sorry for what I did to you!''

'' I know you are!'' Strider answered.

Naruto turned around in shock as he heard the much more friendly tone in the older man's voice.

'' And Naruto, I do not hate you for what you did.''

Naruto felt a huge weight lift from his heart at the Ranger's words; he couldn't help but give a small, shuddering breath of relief.

'' But…'' Strider's voice suddenly took a much firmer tone.

Naruto tensed slightly.

'' ... I want you to think on the words I spoke earlier. The more times you loose control of your conscience, the fewer people you have trusting you!''

Naruto nodded silently; his face had a serious look on it as he took the bandages that were still being held in Strider's hands. '' Let me bind that wound of your's, Strider.'' he said quietly. '' My master, Ero-Sennin, got hit by the women and their husbands so many times during the time I was on that training trip with him, that it would be a miracle if I hadn't learned to bind all the wounds he received.''

'' Ero- Sennin? '' Strider asked, stumbling over the pronunciation of the strange language.

'' Ero means pervert, and Sannin means hermit. '' Naruto said, the serious look on his face melting to one of mirth. He was chuckling as he started wrapping the bandages around the older man's arm. '' In other words, it means Pervert- Hermit. I came up with that name myself, and its something he really hates hearing all the time.''

Strider looked faintly amused. '' Ah, so he was the person who took you on that training trip. I understand he must have been pretty aggravating with his perverted tendencies.'

'' You can't imagine how many times I thought of that during those three long years of traveling, Strider.'' Naruto answered, shaking his head. He then pulled the bandage tight around Strider's arm.

The older man winced at the movement and uttered out a small gasp of pain, but showed no further signs that he was in pain.

When Naruto finished what he was doing, the older man flexed his arm slightly to see if the bandages were properly put on; seeing that they were, Strider thanked the blond ninja and stood up with the help of Naruto.

'' We better go look for more of the Athelas plant before returning to our campsite. Oh, and Naruto… use that nose to sniff out the scent. I'm sure you'll recognise it.''

'' Yes, sir!'' Naruto answered with a small grin; he had told the Ranger about his very sensitive nose during their first day of traveling.

He was answered by a small, brotherly nudge in the ribs by Strider's fist as the Ranger turned to walk down the stone stairs

Naruto quickly followed after the Ranger and together they made their way down the hill where the Tower of Weathertop was built.

Later, when Naruto and Strider returned to the campsite, the Ranger crouched down in front of Frodo and laid the knife wrapped in cloth on his knees. He pulled off the cloth and started singing a slow song in a strange language that was alien to all four hobbits and the ninja.

He then set the dagger aside and turned to the dark haired hobbit who was wincing at the cold pain raging inside his body, and spoke in a soft tone; the words were spoken so quietly that everyone else but Naruto was unable to make them out. And were again the words were unknown to the Ranger's companions.

Naruto opened the flap of his belt-pouch and reached inside for the long thin leaves of the Athelas plant. He pulled out the leaves and handed them out to Strider.

Sakura watched with interest as the man took one of the leaves and set the rest of them down on the ground before him.

'' Just how far did you guys have to go just to find those Athelas plants?'' she asked as Strider crushed the leaf between his fingers. She closed her eyes and sniffed in the sweet, pungent fragrance wafting from the medicinal plant.

'' Quite far indeed. ''Strider answered. '' The leaves don't grow in the bare hills but in thicksets away south of the road, Naruto and I took. It was him who caught their scent first.''

The Ranger then crushed a second leaf and then threw both of the leaves inside the kettle of boiling water.

'' Well, then I suppose it's fortunate that the two of you were able to find it.'' Sakura said softly. She lifted Naruto's black cloak and started unwinding the bandages around his chest and shoulder.

Naruto's wound needed to be bathed as much as Frodo's in order to slow down the poisoning in both their bodies.

At the moment the poisoning in Naruto's system had halted completely, but who knew when that would change.

'' You told us before that the plant is now very sparsely growing in places where the Men of the West used to dwell or camp.''

'' Yes, and the Athelas plant also has great virtues, but over such wounds our two friends and comrades…''

Strider gave Sam a sharp glance when the chubby blond haired hobbit muttered somewhere along the lines of Naruto and him taking a good while to get back to their camp…'' it's healing powers may be small.''

'' Still, I'm sure these weeds will help at least a little.'' Sakura said; she took out a clean cloth from her traveling- pack. '' Naruto, take off your shirt!''

The blond ninja immediately and lifted his orange shirt over his head to reveal the white bandages still wrapped around his shoulder and waist. The young man didn't want to fuel Sakura's wrath by refusing treatment.

He smiled slightly as he felt Sakura's gentle hands unrolling the bandages from his arm and watched as Strider did the same to Frodo.

As the two healers took care of the injured, Merry and Pippin took over the guarding duty; and Sam was over by a second campfire cooking the evening meal. They could all feel their minds calming and clearing due to the fragranced steam wafting up their noses.

When Sakura finished bathing Naruto's shoulder with the water, and finished wrapping the bandages around the Kyuubi-jailer's chest and shoulder, she practically ordered Strider to unroll the bandages around his arm.

Not wanting to be on the receiving end of the short-tempered kunoichi's wrath, the older man quickly did as she ordered.

Naruto winced and looked away as the Ranger's slash wounds were again revealed. He let himself fall backwards onto the hard ground; his blue eyes were looking up at the sky as he lay on the spot in deep thought.

'' _My quick temper is still my achilles heel, was it, Ero- Sennin?'' _he thought morbidly; his eyes turned to look at Sam for a short moment. He was shocked to see the blond hobbit looking right at him with a wary look in his eyes. He quickly turned away.'' _He was right. Sakura almost died on the mission to save Gaara, and she would have if Granny Chiyo hadn't been there as back-up. Why is it, that everything I do, has a fate to be disastrous?''_

Naruto sighed and put a hand to his forehead; a great tiredness had suddenly fallen on him like a thick, heavy blanket. He closed his eyes and after only a few minutes, he had fallen asleep.

Naruto woke up a little later to the feeling of his blond locks of hair being played with by warm, gentle hands and the smell of bacon, sausages and tomatoes wafting into his nose.

He blinked open his blue eyes and saw Pippin crouching in front of him with a plate of food.

The blond ninja groaned as he sat up; his stiff muscles were protesting against the motion.

He took the plate Pippin was offering to him with a grateful smile on his face.

'' Thanks, Pippin.' he said. '' I take it that I fell asleep some time ago?''

'' You sure did, Naruto!'' Frodo answered weakly from where he was laying on the ground.

'' How long did I sleep? '' Naruto then asked while digging into his meal with relish. This was the first time in days that the food actually smelled and tasted great to him, and he wasn't going to just sit there and wait for the food to turn cold.

'' About a half an hour.'' Pippin answered, looking a little amused at seeing Sakura show her affection towards the blond ninja. He was also glad that his friend seemed to have a genuine appetite and was not just eating because the others were.

'' I see.'' Naruto answered, his voice slightly muffled by the food in his mouth. He swallowed, before asking: '' So, have you guys already discussed what we are going to do next? Has our plan changed or are we still going to hold our course towards Rivendell? The Black Riders will surely be watching our every move.''

''Yes, we will hold our course.'' Strider said seriously. '' But Frodo is too weak to stand, so we will have to divide the greater part of our baggages among the six of us and let Frodo ride on Bill the pony.''

'' I hope Gandalf's alright.'' Sakura muttered worriedly, voicing out the thoughts that had been bugging her mind for a very long time.

She then lifted her right hand up to stroke Bill the pony who had wandered over to where she was sitting.

The pony, who was already starting to look fatter and stronger, was beginning to show affection for its new masters. It eased Sakura's worries for the animal's well-being on such an arduous journey and for the mental scars that may have occured while being held in keeping by it's previous owner. '' I know Gandalf's fate has been the subject talked among us for the longest of time, but it still intrigues my mind as to what really has happened to him. What is the hidden meaning of those strange marks on that rock we found on the cairn?''

Strider sighed and rubbed at his forehead tiredly; he too was worried about the Grey wizard, but he could not offer any explanation as to why Gandalf hadn't met up with Frodo and the others in the '' Prancing Pony'' like he had said he would.

'' I can bet my life on it that it is something to do with the White Wizard Saruman!'' Naruto said darkly. '' Sakura did say that she witnessed something fishy going on in Isengard.''

'' With your awesome luck in gambling, I'd say your right, Naruto.'' Frodo spoke, somewhat mirthfully.

His words sent everyone, even Sam, into laughter that took awhile to end.

When it did, Strider gave the order for everyone to get some sleep for the walk the next day. ''We shall leave immediately tomorrow morning. '' he then said. '' There will be no time to cook breakfast. ''

'' What are we supposed to eat then?'' Pippin cried out, looking aghast at the thought of not getting anything to eat in the morning.

Strider's left eye twitched in annoyance; he could feel a big headache coming.

Merry groaned and slapped a hand on his forehead: '' Pippin and his infatuation for food.'' he muttered under his breath.

Frodo, Sam, Naruto and Sakura just chuckled.

'' Well let's see, Pippin…'' he droned sarcastically ''... How about we just eat cold breakfast as we walk?''

'' But… but…'' Pippin gasped, still looking aghast '' ... there's nothing more important to a hobbit than a good hot meal!''

The others sweat-dropped and Merry, in his surprise and shock, anime-dropped backwards onto the ground with a soft ''thump''.

'' Man, why do we have to repeat this kind of conversation again!'' he mumbled under his breath. '' Pippin, I swear you are the worst kind of idiot there is!''

'' He isn't serious, is he?'' Sakura was muttering to Sam in disbelief.

The chubby blond haired hobbit just shook his head at Pippin's foolish words.

Frodo looked to be on the verge of laughing again, and Strider was rubbing his temples due to his sudden pounding headache.

Naruto was staring dumbly at the young Took; his mouth was hanging wide open in shock. ''

Alright, now who's the real dope around here?'' he couldn't help but utter incredulously. His words were mainly aimed towards Sakura who had called him an idiot so many times in the past.

Pippin laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head in a very Narutoish way. Well, when the blond was embarrassed that is. '' Ahahahah... I was just kidding, you guys!'' he then squeaked.

The others gaped at him for a long while, their mouths hanging so open wide that it was a miracle that no bugs had flown inside yet. Then as if in unison, Sam, Sakura and Strider fell over backwards anime-style with large sweat-drops on the side of their heads.

Naruto, Frodo and Merry would have done the same if they hadn't already been spread eagled on the ground.

'' And he spoke those words in a very believable way. It's now official; there are some in this group who are not right in the head!'' Strider groaned inwardly; this was the thirteenth time in a few days that he felt like ripping his hair out. '' Gah! With these people, I swear this is one of the most dangerous, but also one the most bizarre journeys I've ever experienced since I became a Ranger!'' he thought in slight despair, as he lay sprawled on the damp ground on his back.

**End of Chapter 8**


	9. Chapter 9 The Flight to the Ford

**Chapter 9 The Flight to the Ford**

**Chapter Summary: What adventures will Frodo, Sam, Naruto, Sakura, Merry, Pippin and Strider experience after leaving Weathertop behind them and toiling their way towards the last Homely House **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Shippuden, or Lord of the Rings Trilogy**

**Author Note: I hope this chapter will meet the readers expectations. And constructive criticism is most welcome.**

...

Early the next day, after the harrowing clash between Frodo's group and the Black Riders on the Watchtower of Amun Sul, Strider, Frodo, Sam, Naruto, Sakura, Merry, Pippin and Bill the pony were off on their way to Rivendell again.

It was slightly chilly, for the sun hadn't even fully risen in the sky as they trudged forward in the southern direction.

Strider had explained to them that going south would mean crossing the road, but it would also be the quickest way to a more wooded country. They needed fuel to keep Frodo and themselves warm during the nights. The fire would also give them some form of protection against the Black Riders.

Sakura and Naruto strained their ninja- senses to be aware of any possible danger as the group slowly and cautiously made their way round the south- western slopes of hills and came to the edge of the road.

Strider, more cautious than ever, led the small group across the road. But as they tooka few steps forward, faraway cries (two of them) could be heard over the wind. The caller's voice was cold, and so was the voice answering.

Naruto felt a twinge on his left shoulder; it was like a needle had pierced his skin. A very freezing cold needle. He then felt the familiar power wafting through his senses.

'' Black Riders!' he rasped out in shock and pain. '' It has to be! Strider, let's hurry and get out of here!''

The older man immediately heeded the blond ninja's warning and picked up the pace.

Soon the group disappeared in the thicksets on the other side of the road.

As they walked, they noticed that the land before them sloped away southwards, but it was wild and pathless. The group spoke little as they trudged along, their feet scraping over scanty, coarse and grey grass. All around them, the thicksets were dropping their fading leaves all around them. All in all, it was a very gloomy and cheerless land.

Frodo, who was sitting on the back of Bill the pony, felt his heart grieving at the sight of his hobbit companions walking beside him with their heads down and their backs bowed under the burdens of the supplies they were carrying.

Even Strider, Naruto and Sakura seemed tired and heavy- hearted.

Frodo sighed, as he saw Strider's left hand moving to his injured arm every now and then. Sakura was breathing rather thinly and raggedly, which may have been due to her battered ribcage. And Naruto was touching his left shoulder with a small grimace on his face.

'' His slash wound has to be bothering him again.'' the black haired hobbit thought silently with a morbid look on his face. '' He seemed so much healthier yesterday, and yet I knew it was something that will not last.''

Not that he was feeling any healthier; in fact, the pain in his shoulder had grown and it wasn't even the end of the first day of traveling since they had left Weathertop.

The group continued their journey through the relatively similar terrain than the one they had left behind, except that the distant mountains seemed a little closer.

As night fell upon them, Frodo and the others started dreading the dark hours of the night, but despite their fear of the unknown, they had yet to see or hear any signs of the enemy.

That night Naruto and Sam were the first ones on watch. Despite the tension between them, they sat back to back near the fire with Naruto gazing in the direction they had come from and the blond hobbit looking ahead.

'' See anything, Naruto?'' Sam whispered nervously. He shivered and huddled deeper into his cloak despite the warm glow of the fire near them.

'' Absolutely nothing, Sam!'' Naruto sighed, unconciously rubbing at his shoulder. '' I only hear the wind whistling around us. What about you, Sam?''

It was true. The only sounds he had heard was the whistling of the wind and small animals moving around in the darkness. But it still was a possibility, that the Black Riders were waiting somewhere in the darkness and were forming an ambush.

'' Nothing at all.'' the blond hobbit answered quietly. '' But even the slightest crack of a twig or other small sound puts me on edge.''

'' Me, too. '' Naruto said with a small, uneasy laugh.

Sam, who kept his eyes on the pathless road ahead of them, couldn't help but grin at the knowledge that he wasn't the only one scared.'' Naruto… '' he said quietly, turning his head slightly ''... are ninja's allowed to be afraid?''

Naruto let out a small laugh. '' We are all people, Sam. Its only natural for humans, hobbits, elves and dwarves to become scared of things that really are something to be afraid of. We wouldn't be normal if we weren't.''

'' I thought it was a rule to every ninja that emotions aren't to be shown to anyone?'' Sam asked with a small frown. '' And that in ninja- villages, the ninja are all unemotional tools of war.''

'' Why would you think that, Sam?'' Strider asked, looking shocked and a little surprised.

'' Because, you spoke only a little of what ninjas are like. '' Sam asnwered nervously. '' During those discussions in the Shire, you spoke mostly of your life in Konohakagure, and not enough in on ninjas in general.''

Naruto lowered his head with a sigh. '' You remember the story I told of what happened in Wave country?''

Sam nodded.

'' When my teammates and I were standing by Haku's and Zabuza's graves, our sensei told us that ninja aren't supposed to find reason for their living and are bound to serve their country whilst forsaking any thought of guilt in what their doing. For many, I suppose, it has become the moto to become the kind of person you spoke of, but its not what I want to become. I said so to Kakashi- sensei's face! I promised myself and to my sensei that I would find my own path in becoming a true ninja!''

Sam looked up at him sadly. '' Were you saying that because you were already hiding behind a smiling mask to hide whatever pain you felt in your heart at the way you were being treated by the villagers and most jounins and chuunins?''

Naruto silently looked down at the ground in front of him.

'' You didn't want to become a man without emotions, '' Sam continued,'' and so you made that promise; to have friends you need to know how to feel. And you wanted friends, because for you its hard to come across people who want to become close to to you.''

Naruto laughed a little bitterly. '' Heh, heh, indeed. Everyone here is important to me; Sakura, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Strider… and you, Sam. I would do anything to keep the people important to me safe! ''

'' Even if it comes to not using the you- know- what?'' Sam asked nervously; he bit his lips slightly.'' Please, even if things become very dangerous, try to find another way out of it, okay?''

Naruto gave a slow smile at the chubby hobbit.'' Even if it comes to not using the I- know- what!'' he answered truthfully; he would remind himself of this promise every day from now on.

Sam laughed slightly and relaxed his posture at the blond ninja's words. Naruto grinned and turned away to look at the unseeable path before him. He knew Sam was still wary of him, but he could sense a certain difference in the hobbit's posture and manner towards him.

And the rest of the watch was indeed spent in a quiet, but friendlier silence.

Five days later, Frodo and the others were crossing over slowly rising terrain.

With the dark haired hobbit badly injured and the others slowed down with the luggage and wounds, it was taking a much longer time than the six days to reach Rivendell.

Strider was now leading them north- eastwards where they had to climb a slow- climbing slope.

'' Strider, what exactly are we to see once we reach the top of this hill?'' Sam asked breathlessly as he tiredly hopped over a large, slippery log infested with moss. Bill the pony followed docilely after him, carefully stepping over the log.

'' You'll see wooded hills and on the right you'll see a small river. And just below us you'll notice the road. '' Strider answered from the front.

'' The road? Don't tell me we have to cross over the road again!'' Sakura asked, looking slightly alarmed. '' The last time we had to cross over the road we were pretty close to getting noticed.''

Strider sighed as he rubbed a hand through his oily, greasy brown hair. '' I'm afraid we have to risk it again, Sakura. There's no other way.''

The kunoichi muttered something not so pleasant under her breath and trudged on whilst avoiding slippery logs and moss covered rocks. Then she froze as a large, slightly limping toad hopped passed the kunoichi's feet, croaking audibly. She shivered slightly in disgust as she watched the green creature hide inside a mossy log.

Laughter was soon heard behind her and the voice of Merry exclaimed: '' Pippin stepped on a toad! Man, your clumsy, Pippin!''

'' Pipe down, Merry!'' Pippin retorted a moment later. '' It was hiding in the deep grass so I didn't notice it until it was too late, you idiot!''

Sakura turned to look behind her as Naruto muttered: '' Poor toad! At least Pippin only stepped on it's foot, otherwise it would have been squashed!''

Sakura smiled as she shook her head. '' _Trust Naruto to be concerned for the well- being of a toad. After all, his summon animals are toads. I just wish I weren't so scared of those slimy creatures.'' _she thought, still shivering slightly.

The last leg of the climbing went without any more small incidents with the woodland creatures.

When they finally reached the top they were greeted with the sight of the road down on the feet of the hills. On their right, they could see a small river that gleamed pale grey in the thin sunshine.

'' There's another river over there!'' Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger in the direction where the river could be seen flowing in a stony valley half covered in mist.

'' Hey, your right, Naruto!'' Merry exclaimed. '' What is that faraway river, Strider?''

'' This closer river in front of us is called the river Hoarwell. The elves call it Mitheinel. '' the Ranger answered, looking out in the direction where the enthusiastic hobbit was pointing. '' And the river out there in the distance is called The Loudwater, the Bruinen of Rivendell.''

'' So we can't cross the river Bruinen unless we walk along the road first. '' Sakura muttered blandly. '' Hmph… well this isn't the first time we've been forced to cross the roads even with the danger of the Black Riders finding us!''

Frodo sighed. '' Lets just go down the hill to the road and then try to find a way to cross both rivers. ''

He then looked up as he felt something wet drop down on his nose. Dark clouds were building up in the sky and thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance.

'' Looks like its about to rain, too. We better find ourselves some shelter before we get soaked to the bone. And since were going down a hill the ground will become treacherously slippery.'' Frodo added as a frown formed on his face.

'' You know what, I'm really starting to detest this whole journey.'' Merry mumbled out loud, glaring up at the darkening sky as large raindrops splattered against his face.

'' You are definitely not the only one.'' Sam grumbled back as he lead Bill the pony down the invisible path Strider was already following.

The both of them were answered by mutual groans of agreement from Pippin, Sakura, Naruto and even Bill the pony whom gave a loud snort of disapproval.

The next day, by early morning, the group came down to the borders of the road. Naruto and Sakura went ahead to inspect the road for danger, but neither of them found any signs of the Black Riders or any other traveller.

Yesterday's rain had wiped away all footprints and as far as they knew, the riders had passed through the road before the rain had come, or they's come during the rain.

The last possible explanation was that the riders hadn't passed along the road at any time.

The seven travellers hurried along the road as fast as their legs could carry them. After a mile or two they saw the Last Bridge materializing in front of where the road crossed on the bottom of a short steep slope.

Strider ordered the rest of the group to take cover in the thicksets on the other side of the road while he went ahead to explore the terrain.

When he returned, he informed everyone of what he had found.

'' This beryl was buried in the mud in the middle of the bridge. Wether it was left there by accident or there had been some kind of purpose in leaving it behind. Either way, it gives me hope.'' he said.

'' Why would it give you hope?'' Naruto spoke up looking puzzled. '' Its only a jewel.''

'' Its not just a jewel, Naruto!'' the Ranger sighed, putting the pale- green beryl in his chest-pocket. '' Its an elf-stone. This could mean, that its safe to cross along the road. But once we have crossed the bridge, we shall not keep to the road for it will be too dangerous.''

'' Well, I hope your right, Strider!'' Sakura commented dryly, as she and the others quickly followed Strider over the bridge.

The only sounds they heard while crossing was the water swirling against the three arches under the long bridge. They walked about a mile until they came upon a ravine that took them northwards through the steep lands on the left of the road. It was there that Strider guided the travelers to a sombre country of dark trees on the feet of a hill.

As the group continued, the hills around them steadily rose. Among ridges and heights they saw glimpses of ancient walls of stone and the ruins of towers.

The towers and dark trees had a creepy look to them, and all seven companions felt a feeling of uneasiness creep into their hearts.

Frodo, who was riding on Bill, had time to recall the adventures his dear uncle Bilbo had experienced all those years ago.

His uncle's first real adventure happened near the Troll's Wood north of the road. He had a feeling that they were now in the same region.

'' Strider, is this troll country?'' he asked. '' Did the trolls build live here and were they the ones to build these towers?''

'' Trolls do not build.'' Strider answered seriously.'' Men who fell under the shadows of Angmar, dwelt here once, but none do anymore.''

'' What happened to them?'' Sakura asked with an interested glint in her eyes.

'' They were evil men who were destroyed in the war that brought the northern kingdom to its end. '' Strider said seriously. '' The land may be empty, and the hills may have forgotten the people who once dwelt here, but a shadow still lies in these lands.''

'' How do you know such tales, then?' Pippin asked, looking puzzled. '' The animals living here can't tell such stories to us.''

'' Many things from the past can be remembered in Rivendell.'' Strider answered shortly.

'' How often have you been to Rivendell?'' Frodo spoke up.

Strider's expression turned to that of slight sorrow, until he reined his expression back to normal.'' I dwelt there once; spent my childhood there. '' he answered quietly. '' And I still return when I can.''

Naruto and Sakura shared a glance; they had both been told of Strider's childhood in Rivendell earlier in their journey, but it seemed like there was something the man was keeping from them; some memory that was very painful for him to talk about.

And neither would the two pry for an explanation.

As the group continued forward, they realized that the unseeable path they'd left behind had totally disappeared onto the underbrush as they walked further along.

A valley that had a narrow, deep alcove lay ahead of them. Trees with old, twisted roots hung over the cliffs of the dark and silent clove.

The trees were also piling up behind them into mounting slopes of pine- wood, as the four, weary hobbits, a ranger and two ninja made their way through pathless country riddled with fallen trees and tumbled rocks.

Another two days passed in their journey from Weathertop, the weather turned dreadful; the wind began blowing steadily from the west and water began to pour down from the dark, menacing clouds high above in the sky.

By nightfall, the miserable company was dripping wet and were forced to spend the night in a cheerless camp where there was no fire to keep Frodo and Naruto warm; the rain had soaked all the wood.

The next day the hills rose higher and steeper under their feet as they trudged through the underbrush. They were forced to turn northwards, which meant going out of their course.

The hobbits, Naruto and Sakura had all noticed Strider's anxious demeanor and later that day they had a conversation with the man that revealed the cause of his anxiousness; Frodo's unfortunate injury and their avoidance of climbing because of said hobbit's current state had slowed them down to the point where it would take another three days for them to reach Rivendell if they were lucky.

This news made the others anxious. Their provisions were running low and if they were to start hunting it would slow them down even more. And what was worse, it was still raining cats and dogs and they had no way to keep the two injured by the Morgul blades warm during the nights.

They camped in a stony shelf with a rocky- wall behind them that night. The hobbits saw it as a shallow cave, and the two ninja saw it as more like a small scoop of cliff.

Frodo felt restless that night. The cold atmosphere had his wound aching stronger than ever, and the pain and the feeling of deadly chill had him tossing and turning restlessly. His ears were picking up every small night- sound; the wind in chinks of stone, dripping water, cracking that could be heard over the rain and the tumbling of stones set loose by the wind.

He sat up at one point, feeling as if black shapes were advancing on him to smother him while he had his eyes closed, but only saw Strider's hunched back as he sat on watch. Frodo let out a sigh and turned to look the other way, only to come face to face with Naruto who was sitting up against the wall with his arms wrapped tightly around his chest; his whole body was shivering visibly.

'' Naruto,'' the hobbit whispered, catching the blond ninja's attention,'' are you alright?''

'' I can't sleep.'' Naruto mumbled quietly.'' And its so cold.''

'' I can't sleep either.'' Frodo sighed, laying back down on the hard ground. '' My body feels like its slowly freezing up into an icicle.''

'' I just hope we can last until we reach Rivendell.'' Naruto whispered, laying down next to Sakura who was sleeping deeply and soundly on the ground.

'' I hope so, too. '' Frodo said tiredly, turning his gaze to Sam, Merry and Pippin who were sleeping as easily as the pink haired kunoichi. He felt a twinge of jealousy prick at his conciousness as he watched his sleeping friends.

Sighing unhappily, the hobbit closed his eyes, hoping he would be able to get some sleep.

The next morning, Strider took Sakura with him as he went ahead to look at the lie of the land; and for that, they needed to climb up a steep, slippery hill. When the two returned, neither of them looked very happy, and the young woman was glaring daggers at the Ranger's back which Strider was ignoring.

'' We have come too far to the north. '' Strider sighed; his voice sounded tired and anything but reassuring.

'' So, what are we supposed to do then?'' Naruto asked with a rather vexed expression on his face. He was hurting, tired, cold and worried about Frodo, Sakura and the other three hobbits and hearing that they'd gone astray angered him.'' Didn't you say that you wouldn't lead us astray? You lied to us!''

Strider's glare, when he turned to face the Kyuubi-container was almost enough to kill a person if it were possible, and his grey eyes had turned cold.'' This land is little known to me, Naruto. I've never travelled to Rivendell from here, but believe me, if I hadn't done those decisions of going through the paths we took, we would have had to climb. Did you want to carry Frodo all the way up the hills? That would have been your fate if we hadn't taken a different route!''

Naruto stared up at the ranger in slight shock. Strider hadn't yelled, but his words were spoken in a cold tone and the way he had said them, told the blond ninja that the ranger had thought about what exactly he'd say to them once he returned.

The young man sighed and looked down at the ground. He was absolutely useless when it came to find a path that would take them to Rivendell. '' Sorry!'' he muttered shortly, not looking up at the ranger.

Strider's expression softened. '' We must find a way to turn back southwards. If we keep going further along this path, we shall end up in the Ettendales far north of Rivendell.'' he then said.

'' Great! Just great!'' Sakura muttered with a frustrated look on her face; her left hand squeezed into a fist in her pocket. '' So, which way do we go?''

'' We go back that way.'' Strider said calmly, pointing in the direction where they would be going.'' We could have tried to find a way through and come around to Rivendell from the north, but that would take too long. So, we must find our way to the Ford of Bruinen.''

'' So, here we go again.'' Sakura sighed, helping Pippin to his feet. '' This is going to be one hell of a walk.''

And she was right.

The rest of the day they scrambled over rocky ground until they found a passage between two hills that they found leading into a valley that ran south-east.

It was the path they needed to take, but by the end of the day, they found to their immense frustration, that the path was barred by a ridge of high land.

There was no other way to continue their journey except to just go forward and climb the difficult barred path.

Frodo had to dismount Bill the pony's back despite his injuries and struggle up the hill the best way he could with the help of Sakura.

'' You know, this journey has really become most troublesome!'' Naruto huffed, as he helped a stumbling Pippin over a very rocky, slippery spot and then held out a hand towards Merry who was also having trouble.

'' Don't say out loud how much this journey annoys you anymore, Naruto…'' Sakura said with a frown. ''… because we know. And besides, you sounded like Shikamaru just now! What's up with that? Taking a leaf out of Shikamaru's book?''

Naruto facefaulted. '' I did NOT sound like that lazy shadow user, Sakura!''

'' _Besides, I doubt his even willing to open a book without thinking that its too troublesome.'' _he then muttered to himself.

Sakura clacked her tongue and rolled her eyes, while Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam laughed out loud. Even Strider had a vague grin over his lips.

'' What the hell did I say? She's being the pink haired monster again.'' Naruto muttered under his breath.

But unfortunately for him, the short tempered, pink haired kunoichi overheard her boyfriend's smart-ass words.

A moment later, the Kyuubi-vessel found himself sitting on the ground with a faceful of wet, stale smelling mud.

'' I heard that, Naruto no baka!'' Sakura spoke over her shoulder, and continued to walk as Naruto struggled to his feet, all the while spitting mud out of his mouth. '' Don't call me monster again or I'll give you a big bump on the head.''

The hobbits were again laughing at the young man's misfortune as he got back to his feet and continued climbing along whilst grumbling under his breath.

Even Strider couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

'' Good throw, Sakura!'' Sam uttered to the kunoichi, sniggering in mirth as he led Bill the pony over a fallen log.

…...

At the same time, miles and miles away in the land of Isengard, the pollution of the terrain was ever growing. Machines for mining had been built and they were scattered across the once beautiful courtyard and covering every large hole and tear that had been made in the ground.

The sound of orcs hammering down in the caverns could be heard throughout the valley with roars and screams mixing in with the hammering. But no one in Isengard noticed the soft swishing noises coming from the fluttering wings of a moth that flew and soared through the sky above all the mining toward the tower of Orthanc.

The moth continued its flight up to the top of the tower and flew straight towards the wizard sitting on the wet, cold surface of the black marble.

When it reached Gandalf, the wizard immediately leaned forward and caught the white moth very gently in his fist without crushing the delicate creature.

He muttered a set of instructions to it before releasing it.

He watched as it fly off into the night with a hint of hope in his blue eyes. The wizard then sighed as he looked down at the courtyard where the orcs continued mining for metal, or sharpened their freshly created scimitars and swords. Some of the orcs were tossing the trees that had been torn down to the ground, into the caverns that were then being chopped and thrown into furnaces.

The metal was being heated, and then it was melted before being poured into sword casts. Orcs were forging hundreds of armour pieces and piles of helmets and swords.

And deep in the very borders of the caverns Orcs and Goblins were twisting long sticks in the ground that was covered in some mud-like substance.

This was the place of breeding.

Unknown to Gandalf, Saruman the White was standing by the mouth of the cavern leading to the breeding place, watching with malicious pleasure.

And as he watched, the mounds of the slimy, mud- like substance shifted and groans and growls could be heard. The first patch of the wizard's Uruk-Hai soldiers were struggling to get to the surface.

One of the orcs went down on its knees to dig one of the newly born Uruk-hai from the mud- like substance. But as soon as the Uruk-hai was free, it grabbed hold of the orc's neck and began slowly choking it.

Some of the shocked and terrified orcs tried to intervene, but Saruman shoved out the arm holding his staff to stop them. He wanted to see how deadly the Uruk-Hai can be. He and the terrified orcs watched the newborn Uruk- Hai squeeze the life out of the unfortunate orc- victim.

As the orc heaved out one last breath, the Uruk- hai let it's victim drop to the ground stone dead.

Saruman lowered his arm as he watched the Uruk slowly rise to its feet, birthing slime dripping into puddles at the creature's feet. It was massive, taller than the wizard and twice as wide. Its whole body seemed to be of pure muscle; it had powerful jaws and the mouth was full of large canine teeth.

Saruman's grin grew wider as the Uruk-hai pulled his hand into a fist and looked around the cavern, a deep growl emitting from its throat as it did so.

...

Later that very same evening, the worn-out traveling party reached the summit of the hill.

The light of the setting sun had almost shrunken behind the hills and the land before them fell steeply away a short distance ahead.

As the others slipped their bags off their shoulders and let them drop to the ground and sat on some rocks sitting on the side of the path, Frodo practically threw himself down and lay on the ground shivering helplessly. He couldn't feel his left arm and when he tried to move his arm, it stayed motionless. He felt as if cold, icy claws were being layed against his skin.

It also seemed that there was something wrong with his eyes; when he looked around, the trees and rocks seemed shadowy and dim.

'' Strider, we can't go any further. '' Merry said worriedly, turning his head to look at his hobbit friend.'' The climb has been too much for Frodo, it seems.''

'' Merry's right, Strider.'' Sakura agreed, moving over to Frodo's side. She lifted him up from the ground and propped him up against a treestump. She then sat down next to him, and Naruto took a seat next to his girlfriend.

Strider sighed and rested his back against a large rock. '' Although I'm anxious to press on, I have to agree that we can't go any further tonight. Try to sleep, all of you, for I'm taking the first watch.' 'he answered agreeably.

Later that same night as soon as the rain had stopped falling, Sam lit up a small campfire down under the roots of an old, gnarled pine-tree that hung over a shallow pit.

Sakura, Naruto, Frodo, Merry and Pippin all huddled together on the cold ridge to try and stay warm. Frodo was laying half in a dream; his imaginating mind was showing him dark wings sweeping by above him, and that there were pursuers scouting him from above whilst riding on top of the wings.

But when morning dawned from behind the hills, the air felt clean and the light felt refreshing and clean in the rain-washed sky. As soon as the group had eaten, they slowly climbed down the southern end of the ridge.

They needed to find the road again, because they couldn't find a way through the hills.

It created several outraged outbursts, like Sakura's: ''Strider, why the hell do we have to make for the road again?; but there really wasn't anything they could do differently.

On the other hand it had become quite a blessing to them all that their pony, Bill, was developing a talent for picking out a path and sparing Frodo from many jolts and bumps.

Still, there was a new problem.

The morning light had brightened the moods amongst the friends and their leader, but a sort of misty cloak was falling over Frodo's eyes every now and then to obscure the hobbit's vision.

And what was even more alarming, was that Naruto,too, was witnessing similar blockages of vision.

The first time it happened, the young ninja had stumbled over a rock and fell down the hill a short way before striking a large rock face first.

Sakura had practically flown down the hill to her boyfriend who had laid sprawled on the ground stunned, but concious with a deep, jagged cut on his forehead that dripped blood over his eyes.

After Sakura had wrapped his forehead in bandages, the group continued their journey forward, but this time the young kunoichi was keeping a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder in case he stumbled again after hitting his head.

After some hours, Pippin, who was walking a little ahead of everyone else, turned around and shouted: '' There is a path here!''

'' What, really?'' Sakura hollered from where she was walking next to Naruto, and behind Bill the pony who was still carrying Frodo on it's back.

'' Really!'' Pippin spoke loudly with excitement in his voice and expression. When the others reached the place where the brown haired hobbit was standing, they saw that there was indeed a beginning of a road that climbed out of many windings of the woods below.

It then faded away on the hilltop behind. In some places, trees were choking the road and someone had apparently heaved large stones to the sides of the road; some of the rocks had been cloven in half, cut or crushed.

'' What the hell?'' Naruto spoke out loud, looking around at the large, ruined stones. '' Something big must have done this to the stones.''

Strider glanced briefly at the young man. The ranger's expression spoke clearly that he had an inkling as to what may have done something this destructive.

As the group came to the corner of a rocky shoulder of hill, they saw that the path ran on over a level strip under the face of a low cliff. Trees were overhanging the cliff and on the stone wall hung a crooked, ajar door.

'' Yuck! What is that smell?'' Naruto spoke out loud. His nose wrinkled in distaste as he and the others crowded around the door and peeked inside the cave, or rock chamber that smelled musty and something else that had a rotting odor.

'' Ugh… I think there's your answer.'' Merry spoke with a hushed tone as he pointed to something lying in the far corner of the cavern.

'' Ohhh…!'' Sakura moaned as she pushed past her boyfriend. She felt the urge to vomit over what she had seen.

'' A skeleton!'' Pippin gasped, gripping tightly at the wooden frame of the large door. His face was abnormally pale and his cheeks held a tint of green.

But it wasn't for nothing. It was the first time the hobbit had ever seen the remains of a living person scattered around the floor of the cave. The poor person had apparently been ripped into smaller parts and then just thrown around the cave after the meat had been devoured.

Broken, empty jars and pots were also laying on the floor and cobwebs hang from the musty, wet ceiling. But the rotting smell wasn't from the skeleton, since it had been sitting there for years. It was from dead animals that had crawled inside the cave and died and the rotting of the wood inside.

'' Well, this is a troll-hole alright.'' Strider spoke up with an emotionless look on his face. Apparently he'd seen a lot of corpses in his lifetime to be able to not feel disgusted. '' And from the looks of this place, its been long forsaken.''

'' Well, I hope for your sake that your right, Strider!'' Sam gasped, looking a little scared.

As they went down the path, they found that the path was thick with Pine-trees and broad enough to have four hobbits walking abreast. Pippin and Merry were walking ahead, whilst Sam and Strider were trudging along on both sides of Bill the pony.

Then, suddenly, Pippin came running back with a terrified look in his eyes. Merry wasn't that far behind.

'' There are… trolls!'' Pippin panted breathlessly.

'' Where?'' Naruto spoke up with a shocked look in his eyes. He pulled out the knife Strider had given to him in Bree.

'' Down in the clearing in the woods not far below! When we peeped from behind tree-trunks, we saw the massive creatures!'' Merry spoke up.

Sakura glanced at Strider and noticed that he looked disturbingly calm.

'' Well, we shall come and take a look at them.'' he said, stooping to pick up a sturdy stick.

Naruto and Sakura exchanged a glance. The kunoichi nervously grabbed hold of her boyfriend's hand as they walked towards the place where their two hobbit friends had seen the trolls.

As they all peeked from behind the trees, the sun shined right into their eyes. They all blinked to clear their vision, and saw the three trolls.

The other two were staring down at the one stooping on the ground.

Strider casually stepped forward and walked over to the trolls.'' Get up, you fat old stone!'' he said, and swiped the sturdy stick across the stooping troll's ugly, warty face.

Naruto twitched where he was standing and Sakura uttered a soft shriek. Both ninja's mouths were gaping wide open in absolute disbelief over Strider's actions.

'' _Does he have a death wish?'' _they both screamed inwardly.

Naruto readied himself to jump at the trolls, when he suddenly realized, that he wasn't feeling any of the living energy radiating from the trolls.

He gave a small groan of self-disgust. _'' Oh, Kami_! _I'm am an idiot!_'' he scolded himself mentally.

'' Well now,'' Frodo suddenly exclaimed, bursting into laughter when the trolls stayed completely motionless, ''we are all forgetting our family history! These three must be the trolls that had tried to eat uncle Bilbo and his thirteen dwarf companions.''

'' Not just your family history,'' Strider said with an amused look on his face,'' but also everything you should know about trolls.''

'' Are you sure that their just gonna stay like that, Strider?'' Pippin asked with a suspicious look on his face.

Although he'd heard the story of the three trolls arguing over the right way to cook one hobbit and thirteen dwarves, he had never really believed the story until now. But he had to wonder if the trolls suddenly could come back to life through some magic.

The Ranger sighed and leaned his back against the stone trolls much in a way that Hatake Kakashi sometimes did when he was relaxing.

The man then folded his arms across his chest and said: '' Its broad daylight and you ran to us trying to make some crackpot tale of live trolls waiting to ambush us in this glade. Unless you haven't noticed yet…'' he pointed at one of the standing trolls''… this one has an old bird's nest behind his ear. A very unusual ornament for a live troll, don't you think?''

Everyone else burst out laughing while Sakura sweat dropped.

She stepped forward and tapped the stoned skin of one of the trolls. '' _Why was I stupid enough to not check the existing life force of these creatures? Now I feel like a fool.'' _She thought inwardly_._

She turned to glare at Naruto in favor for him not noticing that the trolls were dead, either.

The blond ninja grinned sheepishly at his lover, whilst rubbing the back of his head in a very familiar way.

…...

Later that day, after climbing down a bank the small group of four hobbits and three humans were forced to stop behind some thick bushes.

Frodo's condition had suddenly turned critical, fast. The hobbit's normally very blue eyes had turned colorless, and he sounded like he was choking on his breaths.

The others were gathered around the hobbit with their expressions that of despair.

'' Frodo! Frodo look at me!'' Sakura spoke up, gently slapping a hand over Frodo's cheek to try and keep the dark haired hobbit focused.

'' Does he even recognise us anymore?'' Merry choked out, as the dark haired hobbit continued to stare up at the kunoichi with eyes of someone who wasn't aware of what was happening around him anymore.

'' The poison seems to be taking a much stronger hold of Frodo. '' Naruto spoke softly; he too had started to have trouble filling his lungs with air, but he wasn't about to tell everyone else because it would have fueled up the panic already present.

He assured himself that things weren't as bad for him yet, because he was still aware of what was happening around him. But he wasn't at all sure how long it would take until he would be in the same predicament as his friend.

'' So it's happening. '' Pippin said quietly. '' His already growing cold and it won't be long until Frodo will pass into the shadow world and becomes one of the Ring Wraiths.''

At that moment, a very familiar screeching cry could be heard in the distance…

'' Oh, no! '' Merry exclaimed with a horrified look on his face. '' They're close!''

" Naruto, the athelas plant!'' Strider said grimly, standing up onto his feet.

Naruto stood up quickly and followed the older man into the woods, after the Ranger had instructed the others to stay behind to look over Frodo.

The two men then scattered to look around for the athelas plant. The both of them hoped that it would slow down the poisoning at least a little.

About fifteen minutes later, it was Strider whom happened to stumble upon the much needed medicinal plant.

Sighing in relief, the Ranger dropped to his knees and took his knife out of its holder. He grasped the plant with his left hand and held his right hand out to cut the plant loose when out of nowhere, a sword appeared beneath his neck.

Strider inwardly cursed himself for not paying attention, and tensed to attack when…

"What's this?" a familiar, soft female voice spoke up. " A Ranger caught off his guard."

The woman's voice was playful, and very familiar as she twisted the knife slightly so that the metal blade poked the Ranger very gently under his chin.

Strider turned his head slightly to look up at the grinning face of the beautiful elven woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago when he was only a young man of twenty years old; barely having reached adulthood.

'' Hmph… Arwen, aren't we too old to play these tricks on each other?'' he sighed, a small smile appearing on his lips.

Arwen just smiled. She knelt, cut the athelas plant and held it out to Strider. '' Let us go now, Aragorn, for whoever you are picking this medicinal plant, must be in dire need of it!''

Meanwhile in the place where the others had hid in the shelter of thick bushes…

" Frodo, please hold on." Sakura was murmuring as she leaned over the dark- haired hobbit lying unresponsive on the ground with dimmed, unseeing eyes. " We will make sure you get to Rivendell."

As the young medic- ninja continued to comfort and care for their friend, Sam, Merry and Pippin sat silently by their side with worried expressions on their faces as they waited for their comrades to return.

Then, suddenly, Sakura heard the sound of hooves coming towards their camp. Cursing, she pulled out the knife Strider had given to her and jumped to her feet. Her heart beat wildly inside her chest as she stepped in front of the hobbits. But what she saw almost made her drop the knife on the forest- floor.

A large, white horse stopped just a few meters away from them, and a beautiful woman slowly dismounted her steed.

Sakura watched with her mouth hanging wide open as the woman slowly approached them. Her long, black hair seemed to shine with a faint golden light, and her long white dress sparkled in the evening light. And her ears… they were long and softly pointed at the tips.

She was an elf!

'' Who… who are you?'' Sakura whispered in awe as the she- elf stopped in front of her momentarily.

'' Arwen.'' she answered, lowering a hand on the kunoichi's arm that was holding the kunai.

The young human never flinched as the she-elf gently pushed the hand holding the knife down so the weapon was no longer pointed upwards, but watched with bated breath as the elf turned to Frodo and said: '' Frodo…im Arwen, telin le thaed. Lasto beth nin, tolo dan nan galad!''(_I'm Arwen. I've come to help you. Hear my voice, come back to the light_).

Sakura breathed in sharply as the she- elf, who's name she had found out to be Arwen, knelt down to touch the injured hobbit's cold and sweaty forehead.

She had never seen the kind of healing where words were used to bring someone back from the darkness. She felt like she too was in a Genjutsu, but instead of it feeling threatening, it felt soothing.

And for a moment Sakura could see recognition in Frodo's eyes as he moved his head from Sam to Merry and Pippin. But the recognition stayed only for a moment before the hobbit's eyes glazed over again and he began choking on his breath again.

'' Frodo!'' Arwen called softly, as she took the hobbit's hand and squeezed it gently. She didn't pay attention to the other three hobbits wondering who she was out loud.

The Genjutsu they'd all been under faded, revealing Arwen in a warrior outfit and her hair tied in intriquing braids and held up in a long, low ponytail.

Sakura spun around as she heard footsteps approaching, but it was only Strider whom slid to a halt next to Arwen and kneeled to raise Frodo's shirt slightly in order to apply the athelas plant on the hobbit's wounds.

Sakura winced as Frodo moaned in pain and fidgeted under the ranger's ministrations.

Sighing softly, she turned to look for her blond boyfriend, but after a moment of searching, she realized that he wasn't anywhere near the camp.

'' Strider,'' she spoke worriedly; she hoped nothing bad had happened to the blond boy,'' where is Naruto?''

'' I do not know.'' Strider answered, looking back at the path he'd run from with just as much worry showing on his weather beaten face as was showing in the pink haired kunoichi's.

'' What if the Black Riders have him?'' Pippin piped in, looking scared.'' I doubt he has actually gotten lost!''

'' Pippin!'' Merry exclaimed, agitated. He had noticed the way Sakura paled visibly at Pippin's words.

'' But it is a possibility, Merry!'' Sam spoke up, looking quite pale himself. '' We all heard their calls.''

'' But it may NOT be, Sam!'' Merry almost shouted as he squeezed Sakura's left shoulder comfortingly.

He became a little shocked as the woman gently pushed his hand off her shoulder and started to stand up, mumbling: '' I'm going to go look for him.''

'' No one is going anywhere before we are sure that Naruto can't get back on his own!'' Strider said firmly as he put a restraining, but comforting hand on the kunoichi's left shoulder.

Sakura started to struggle in attempt to free herself, but Strider's hand clamped harder onto her shoulder to prevent the stricken kunoichi from escaping. '' SAKURA, be still!''

He sighed as the kunoichi stilled under his hold.'' Listen, I doubt he has gotten lost; he is too smart for that. But I can't rule out the possibility that Naruto could have been abducted by Sauron's minions. Another possibility is that he could have lost conciousness and hasn't woken up yet.''

'' Well, WE don't know WHAT happened to him unless we get off our asses and go LOOK for him!'' Sakura snapped, brushing a hand over her eyes. Her face had the look of rebellion on it as she stared up at the ranger. '' Now LET go, Strider!''

The Ranger looked about ready to snap at her again, when Arwen's startled exclamation turned everyone's attention back to her.

'' Frodo is becoming weaker and weaker. '' Arwen said as she put her hand over the hobbit's heart.'' He won't be able to last much longer if we don't get him to my father!''

Merry, Pippin, Sam and Sakura gasped at her words.

'' Your father?'' Sakura inquired, turning to the black haired elf. '' Is he a healer? Can he really help Frodo, and Naruto who also has been injured by the Morgul Blade!''

''My father is Lord Elrond.'' Arwen answered the kunoichi kindly. She lowered a hand on Sakura's shoulder. '' And yes, I do have hope in my father's ability to heal both injured.''

Sakura's eyes widened in shock.'' Your father is… lord Elrond?'' she whispered, her voice hushed. She couldn't believe that she was actually talking to the daughter of the elf lord who ruled over Rivendell. Or the fact that this she-elf had willingly put her own life in danger by coming to look for them.

While she was still unfocused, Arwen had turned to adress Strider and was saying something to him which the kunoichi couldn't hear, when the sound of hooves hitting the ground reached the ninja's ears.

'' Oh no!'' she whispered, just as everyone else froze in fear.

As they heard the hooves coming nearer, Strider, Sakura, Arwen, Merry, Sam and Pippin all quickly rouse to their feet and made a protective circle around Frodo who lay helpless on the forest-floor.

They all held their breaths as the noise came closer and closer when, when a tingling sound, as faint as it was, could be heard over the rhythmetic thumps of hooves hitting the ground.

'' That doesn't sound like a Black Rider's horse, does it?'' Merry exclaimed, pulling out his knife from it's holster. His ears soon picked up the sound of weapons being drawn around him.

'' No, it doesn't.'' Arwen whispered, listening intently. '' Its…''

She didn't get to finish her sentence, when a large horse with black fur galloped into view from behind the trees.

Sakura gaped at the new arrivals. From what she could see, the horse's golden headstall flickered and flashed brightly in the dusk, and the man sitting on it's back wore a large grey cloak. The cloak streamed behind the rider with the motion of the running horse and the hood had flopped back showing the rider's long, golden hair that seemed to shine with a faint light that wasn't the sun.

'' Glorfindel!'' Arwen exclaimed, sheathing the long blade she had been holding in a two-gripped stance.'' What in Arda are you doing here?''

'' To stop you from getting yourself into serious trouble, when you weren't to be found anywhere in Rivendell.' Glorfindel answered, giving Elrond's daughter an admonishing look.'' Why did you leave Rivendell when your father specifically assigned me to go find Strider and the hobbits?''

'' I told him that I wanted this mission, Glorfindel. '' Arwen exclaimed with a frown.'' I'm well beyond the years I became an adult by elven reckoning. That should be enough to make my father understand that I can take care of myself just fine!''

'' Hnn… still, you should have listened to your father.'' Glorfindel sighed. ''And did you really need to take my Asfaloth?''

He quickly dismounted the black horse which happened to belong to the she-elf herself.

The hobbits and Sakura looked bewildered and Strider just shook his head at the sight of the elves arguing. He had known Arwen to be rebellious when she wanted to be, but even he couldn't have imagined her going against Lord Elrond's orders and stealing Glorfindel's horse.

'' Well, he is the fastest horse in Rivendell.'' Arwen said, petting the nose and neck of her black horse, Ebony Pearl, that had wandered over to stand by her side.

Glorfindel looked a bit ruffled at her answer, and Sakura, Merry, Pippin and Sam looked even more bewildered.

'' So you took his horse.'' Sakura stated blankly, gesturing to the beautiful stallion who had moved to stand next to it's owner and was nuzzling Glorfindel's cheek with it's muzzle.

'' Please!'' Sam exclaimed loudly, and suddenly. '' My master is sick and wounded! Can we PLEASE worry about his needs and not what lady Arwen did that can't be changed?''

Everyone's attention immediately turned to the blond, chubby hobbit whom was looking quite furious at that moment.

Strider sighed softly as he rubbed his temple for a moment before asking:'' Arwen, was it you who left the elf-beryl on the bridge?''

'' Yes!'' Arwen answered, turning serious.'' I left a token for you to find on the bridge seven days ago. There are five Wraiths behind you, but I do not know where the other four are.''

As Arwen was speaking, the shade of evening deepened around them unnoticeably. Then a rustle in the trees behind them had everyone jump to their feet whilst pulling out their weapons.

Merry's, Pippin's and Sam's mouths flopped open in shock at the sight of a tired, scratched and bruised Naruto Uzumaki staggering out from behind the trees. He was breathing heavily and by the looks of it, holding himself up with his hand on a tree-trunk.

'' NARUTO!'' Sakura exclaimed ecstatically running over to her boyfriend. She slung his other arm over her shoulder and helped him walk over to the others. All the while she was thanking Kami for the fortunate turn of events; she had been so afraid that the Riders may have had actually taken him.

The kunoichi hugged him gently as she sat him down on the ground and was rewarded with a tired smile of thanks from the normally so loud blond haired ninja.

'' Where have you been, Naruto? I was worried about you!'' Sakura asked softly, as an anxious look spread across her face. She closed her eyes as she felt Naruto lift a hand to caress her left cheek.

'' I lost conciousness,'' Naruto sighed,'' when looking for the athelas plant. I started getting very dizzy and tired while running through the underbrush,'' he continued quietly,'' and then spots started appearing in my vision. I guess I stumbled over something and crashed spread- eagled on the ground.''

Naruto leaned a little more heavily against Sakura as he continued, saying: '' I then woke up much later with my mouth full of forest leaves and with my shoulder aching like mad. It took me some time to get back onto my feet with my shoulder aching and my knees being like a pair of cooked noodles.''

Sakura's anxiousness increased as she turned to share a worried glance with Merry, Pippin and Sam.

Naruto on the other hand, looked rather surprised as he spotted the two elves looking at him with some anxiousness in their almost almond shaped eyes.'' Strider, who are the two standing there next to you?'' he asked curiously.

'' This is Glorfindel, an elf-lord whom dwells in Rivendell.'' Strider answered, gesturing to the tall, blond haired elf. The older man then gestured to the shorter, black haired she-elf. '' And this is Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond.''

'' Hmmph… Glorfindel use to be my babysitter when I was an elfling.'' Arwen pointed out rather dryly as she crossed her arms over her chest.'' And sometimes he acts as if I still was one!''

'' ARWEN!'' Glorfindel exclaimed, looking very perturbed by the she elf's words.

The hobbits and Sakura shared a '' I can't believe that those elves are arguing again!'' look, while Strider just leaned against a tree, shaking his head and giving a long sigh.

Naruto just looked bewildered by the turn of events.

'' AAAAGGGggghhhhh!''

They all jumped when Frodo gave a loud, choked cry and and started fidgeting from side to side.

Arwen immediately dropped to her knees in front of the dark haired hobbit and lowered her hand on Frodo's forehead. "He's fading quickly!" she concluded as she finished her observation. "We need to hurry!''

At her words Strider stepped forward and picked up Frodo bridal style and walked over to where Asfaloth was standing by it's master's side, with Arwen following after him.

The black furred horse, Ebony Pearl , followed at her master's heels.

''Merry, Pippin, Sam, Sakura and Naruto watched them silently. They knew Frodo needed to be taken to Rivendell as soon as possible, so neither of them moved to stop Strider as the man gently mounted Frodo on Asfaloth's back.

'' Arwen, dartho guin berian. Rych le ad tolthathon,'' Strider then said, turning to adress Arwen who had moved to his side.

To Merry's, Pippin's, Sam's, Sakura's and Naruto's ears the words Strider had spoken were gibberish, but to Glorfindel the words made perfect sense. The Ranger wanted Arwen to stay with the others, while he was to ride to Rivendell on Asfaloth.

"Hon mabathon (_I'm the faster rider_)," The she-elf exclaimed back in elvish " Rochon ellint im (_I will take him_)!"

"Andelu i ven (_The road is too dangerous_)!" Strider countered, putting both hands on Arwen's shoulders and looked deeply into her beautiful blue eyes.

'' Hey, what do you think their saying?" Pippin muttered quietly to the others of his company.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. '' Don't ask me for I do not know elvish. But they are sure to be arguing about something.''

''_And they are acting as if their more then just good friends!_'' she thought inwardly and turned to look at the pair just as Arwen said:'' Frodo fir. Ae athradon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon (_If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him_)…

'' I do not fear them." the she-elf then finished her sentence in words that Sakura, Naruto and the hobbits could understand.

For a moment they just stood there saying nothing. Arwen stroked her own horse on the neck as she anxiously waited for the Ranger to speak.

Finally, Strider stepped closer and handed the reins to Arwen. He then took her hands and held them for a moment.

'' Go then, but be careful out there!'' he said softly.

The Lady elf smiled reassuringly at his words and quickly mounted Asfaloth.

"Arwen," Strider called before she urged Asfaloth to run, "ride hard and don't look back!"

Arwen nodded and turned to address Glorfindel's horse.

"Noro lim, Asfaloth! Noro lim!" she said, and the horse hurried to do as she had ordered.

Sam, who was sitting by Naruto, Sakura, Merry and Pippin, voiced out his concern.'' I HOPE you have made a good decision by letting Arwen take Frodo to Rivendell, Strider! Those Wraiths are still out there!" he exclaimed with scepticism in his voice.

'' I would trust him if I was you, Sam!'' Glorfindel spoke up from where he was leaning against a tree-trunk.'' Still, I wonder why you didn't ask me to take Frodo to Rivendell, Strider?''

'' Like she said herself, she is no longer an elfling.'' Strider answered with a tired sigh. '' You were the one to teach her how to fight, weren't you? And you are known to be one of the best fighters in Rivendell. Please have more faith in her!''

Glorfindel just groaned and rubbed the neck of the black stallion standing beside him. '' Elrond's going to kill me.'' he muttered under his breath

'' Well, shouldn't it be reassuring that Arwen's well educated in fighting ?'' Sakura spoke as she stood up to her feet, pulling Naruto up with her.'' She will be able to protect Frodo.''

'' It will be difficult with the five Wraiths trying to take Frodo,'' Glorfindel answered grimly,'' and we have no clue where the other four are, remember?''

'' Then we better hurry after them!'' Naruto exclaimed with anxiousness in his eyes.

He stepped away from Sakura and began running off in the direction Arwen had rode with Asfaloth and Frodo.

The others immediately followed after him, with Merry, Pippin and Sam being quickly deposited on the back of Arwen's horse, Ebony Pearl, by Glorfindel and Strider, so the hobbits wouldn't be left behind due to the fast running pace the two ninja had taken.

Meanwhile…

Arwen's lips were pressed to a thin line as she urged Asfaloth to run faster across the somewhat smooth terrain. She could sense that Frodo's life force was now very weak.

'' Hold on, Frodo, please!'' she exclaimed as she turned her course towards a forest.

'' Come on! Only a bit further!'' she whispered, turning her head from side to side inn search for any approaching Black Riders. In her mind she knew that very soon they would come to the river Bruinen.

She had been in luck so far with not seeing any signs that the Black Riders were following her, but at the same time she wouldn't dare to lower her guard. She had told Strider that she would do anything to bring Frodo safely to Rivendell and that promise she was going to keep.

But just as she changed her course to the open field, she noticed the Ringwraiths approaching her from all sides.

A sound that was almost a growl escaped from the elf-maiden's lips as one of the Wraiths was able to slip close enough to grab Frodo out of the front of Asfaloth's saddle. But she wasn't about to let the enemy take Frodo.

Using her elvish- flexibility, the maiden moved to a low hand-stand on the saddle and gave a vicious side-kick that snapped against the Black-Rider's neck and sent it pitching sideways from the strength of the impact.

Arwen grinned evily at the sight of seeing the rider wobble dangerously on the saddle of his running horse. The horse slowed down as it sensed it's master's uneasiness.

Arwen quickly moved from her dangerous hand-stand to a more safe sitting position just as Asfaloth broke through the underbrush into an open field.

She could see, that for now she was still ahead of the Wraiths but despite the small head start, the wretched creatures were now hot on Frodo's trail.

She uttered another curse as the riders began reaching towards Frodo with their hungry, bony hands when they managed to slip close.

Arwen ushered Asfaloth to run even faster with a shout of: "Noro lim, Asfaloth!"

The chase intensified as the elf-maiden raced the riders into another patch of the woods with the Black Riders screeching in anger all the while.

'' Go Asfaloth!'' she cried, as Glorfindel's horse dodged around the trees with agility that the riders horses's couldn't master.

They simply weren't nimble enough and the weight of the Black Riders armour made them slower.

''Noro path, Asfaloth, noro bell! (_ride smooth, Asfaloth, ride strong)_'' Arwen cried as they rode towards a huge fallen tree.

She needed to loose the riders when coming to the River Bruinen to have the plan she had worked out in her head to fully succeed in her's and Frodo's favor.

A little later, after many close shots with the minions of Sauron, Arwen, Frodo and Asfaloth reached the river first. The great white stallion never faltered, as the maiden urged him to run straight into the shallow river.

But as they reached the half-way point of the river, Arwen pulled on the reins, dragging Asfaloths pace to an almost complete stop.

Arwen then urged him to turn direction from whence they had broken through the underbrush just as the riders appeared from behind the trees.

The Wraiths stopped just at the waters edge; just like they'd stopped on the dock by the Brandywine River. Again, they uttered the horrible,grating screech but Arwen stared at them without flinching.

"Give up the halfling, She-Elf!" the leader of the Black Riders hissed, pulling out it's long, deadly sword from its holster.

Arwen drew her father's sword, Hadhafang, which had once belonged to Elrond's father, Earendil.

" If you want him, come and claim him!" she spoke to them with a challenging edge to her voice.

Infuriated by the she-elf's refusal to hand over the specimen they wanted, the Wraiths all drew their swords and urged their stallions to cross the shallow river.

Arwen's eyes narrowed and a smirk found its way to her lips as she began chanting to the water surrounding her and Asfaloth.

''_Nin o Chithaeglir, lasto beth daer_

_Rimmo nin Bruinen dan in Ulaer!'' _

The river started to rise is responce to Elrond's daughter's chanting.

_Nin o Chithaeglir, lasto beth daer_

_Rimmo nin Bruinen dan in Ulaer! _''

Her chanting turned a little louder and the river rose even higher, before a rush of water flowed from behind a cliff towards the riverbed. White horse-shapes led the flooding water, and rocks of every size tumbled in the flow of the river.

Startled by the sight of the rushing water, the Ringwraiths turned their horses and tried to flee their fate, but the water was too fast for them to get away from. The flood crashed onto them and slowly, but surely washed the Wraiths away from Arwen and Frodo.

Arwen took a few deep steadying breaths as she watched the river washing away the filth of Mordor, her father's sword still held up in the air. Adreline still coursed through her veins as she watched the depth of the river slowly return to normal.

'' Thank you, Bruinen.'' she whispered, grateful that the River Bruinen had recognised her as the daughter of Elrond and had responded to her calls.

If it hadn't, then she would have most likely been killed and Frodo would have been taken.

But as she was triumphing over her well executed plan, Frodo's breathing suddenly grew very short.

''Frodo, no!'' Arwen cried out, dismounting Asfaloth and laying Frodo gently on the ground. Frodo, it seemed, was quickly loosing battle against the poison.

Frodo's answer was a short, choked gasp before he totally stopped breathing.

'' Frodo! Frodo, don't give in! Not now!'' Arwen gasped, tears appearing in her soft blue eyes as she gently shook the hobbit to try and force some movement into him.

Seeing that her shaking him did nothing to revive the hobbit, Arwen pulled Frodo up and into her arms. Shakely, the maiden sought for the mental connection with her father.

She found it very soon, and used the mental link to communicate her thoughts to her father.'' Ada, please, '' she spoke softly through the mind-link, '' let Frodo be spared. Save him!''

All this while Frodo, who's dulled blue eyes were still open, felt his eyesight dissolve into a dark world; but his ears still heard the soft chanting of the two elves who had brought him into the mind-link together to bring him back to living- world.

He was about to permanently fall into a world of blackness, when the presence of another person's soul large, but gentle hand grasped his smaller hand and coaxed him back out of the blackness. The last words he heard before closing his eyes, were : ''_Lasto beth nin, tolo dan nan galad! "_

Arwen, who was still holding the small hobbit against her chest, took in huge gulps of air as she broke the mental link in seconds after her father had warned her that she was becoming dangerously low on energy.

When she checked Frodo's breathing and heart with shaking hands, she was relieved to feel that they were going strong. But she knew that the danger wasn't over.

She pushed herself to her feet with Frodo held snuggly against her chest and carried the dark haired hobbit to Asfaloth.

The beautiful white horse stayed completely still when the maiden pushed Frodo up on his back.

But as she tried pulling herself up, Arwen realized that she was too dizzy to mount herself up into a sitting position on Asfaloth's back after using the mind-link.

So she took hold of Asfaloth's reins and began leading the horse towards Rivendell with slow, stumbling steps.

Every step she took was heavier than the last, but she kept going until she reached the gates of the Last Homely House. She watched with drooping eyes, as two of the three gate- guards hurried to their side; two very familiar gate-guards. '

'' Take... Frodo Baggins... to our father.'' she whispered out urgently just as she felt her knees buckling from under her.

She felt herself collapsing, but two strong arms caught her around the waist.

She looked up into the familiar face of Elladan, for even in her nearly unconcious state she was able to recognise the oldest of the identical twin brothers.

Her brothers!

**End of Chapter 9**


	10. Chapter 10 Many Meetings and A Feast

**Chapter 10 Many Meetings and a Feast **

******Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings Trilogy or Naruto Shippuden**

**************No money is made out of this story**

**Chapter Summary: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Naruto and Sakura have reached the Last Homely House with Strider. What will happen as they meet the other guests in the house?**

**Find out in chapter 10!**

**...**

_Ever since the two young humans had been shipped off to the unfamiliar land of Middle Earth due to the meddling of Sasuke Uchiha's ancestor Tora Akame, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno have been experiencing a lot of events together. Events that have been both heart- lifting and despairing. _

_They had met new people and had gone through a separation of paths before realizing just how much they really cared for each other. From the very first day the two had crossed paths again, the two ninjas had worked on building a true friendship that later blossomed into love._

_For a long while, their life had been peaceful as they learned to live amongst the hobbits of the Shire, until a dark cloud of uncertainty, fear and despair fell upon them as they took upon the job as protectors to bring a member of their surrogate family to Rivendell after a dangerous object was bestowed upon him._

_Now, another page of their journey was unraveling, and there was no telling what was about to happen to either of them…_

_..._

Naruto Uzumaki groaned quietly as he slowly opened his heavy eyes. The light coming from a window that had no glass almost blinded him and he wondered why he was feeling a soft, cool breeze blowing on his face.

Then he saw the window that had let in the breeze.

He groaned, feeling sluggish and confused as to what had happened to him. then, a sudden twinge of pain on his shoulder brought in the memories of the mind numbing pain that had exploded from his shoulder, and the terrifying feeling that he couldn't breath.

'' Uhh… I must have passed out at some point.'' Naruto muttered quietly to himself as he stared up at the flat ceiling with richly carved black beams. '' But how long have I been in this room?''

'' Well, well, its nice seeing you return to the living world, Naruto.'' a very familiar voice suddenly spoke from his left, snapping the young ninja out of his thoughts.

The ninja's blue eyes widened in shock.

'' Gandalf-san!'' Naruto exclaimed rather loudly as he sat up in a flash. His bandaged arm gave another twinge of pain as he put pressure on the injured limb, but he hardly noticed it in his excitement at seeing the figure of the old, kind wizard.

The Istari just laughed as the young ninja jumped out of his bed covers to hug him around the waist and exclaim how glad he was to see him in such healthy condition. For a moment he let the boisterous young man squeeze him to near death in his excitement to see him, before pulling away.

'' Umm…Gandalf, could you tell me if Frodo is alright?'' Naruto pleaded suddenly with a sheepish grin

'' Ah, my dear boy,'' Gandalf spoke with a smile. He hadn't missed the worry that clouded the young man's eyes. In Naruto's excitement at seeing a long- not- seen friend, he had apparently forgotten to ask about the hobbit,'' I recall the morning two days ago on October the twenty-fourth, when a certain dark haired hobbit woke up asking where he was and what day it was before asking for information on a certain blond haired ninja. And then he smothered me into a hug.''

The wizard laughed after saying the last part.

'' So he is alright!'' Naruto exclaimed as a genuine, relieved smile appeared on his face. '' So I take it that its October the twenty- sixth?''

'' Hmmm… indeed.'' Gandalf answered with a twinkle in his eye. '' And its twelve o'clock in the morning if you want to know.''

Naruto gave a short laugh of amusement before a more serious look took over his expression. '' Umm…Gandalf, has someone told you what exactly happened at the Brandywine River?'' he asked softly, touching the bandages on his shoulder.

'' Sakura told me that you saved Frodo from the Black Riders on the Brandywine River,'' Gandalf said thoughtfully,'' and the Morgul Blade grazed you just before your Kawarimi no jutsu (Substitution technique) was completed. ''

'' And… did Sakura tell you what happened at… Weathertop?'' Naruto said quietly, a look of guilt appearing on his face.

'' No, it was Strider.'' Gandalf answered.

Naruto looked even guiltier as he stared at the wizard in silence for a moment.

Strider's yell of agony and the sensation of the Ranger's blood coating his hand haunted at his consciousness.

'' He did tell me that he doesn't hate me over what I did to him, but I wish I could have avoided hurting a friend and companion. If only I hadn't asked the stupid fur-ball for power…''

The ninja paused in his speech as his voice became choked.

'' Yes, I had hoped we wouldn't have a repeat of what occurred in Bag End, but as far as I know, the outcome could have been worse than it had been.'' Gandalf spoke solemnly, putting a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder. '' But everyone learns from their mistakes. As long as you acknowledged that you've made a mistake by acting impulsively, you will also be able to correct it. Then you will not have to say '' if only'' ever again!''

'' It would kill me if I lost the trust of my friends,'' the ninja said softly,'' so I'll hold to the promise I made to Strider and Sam.''

Gandalf nodded with a knowing look in his eyes, which told the Kyuubi- vessel that the wizard knew exactly what promise he had mentioned.

For a while the two just sat there without speaking. Then Naruto decided to ask the one question that had been bugging him ever since he and his friends had reached the pub in Bree called the ''Prancing Pony''.

''Gandalf, do you mind telling me the reason, why you didn't meet us in the ''Prancing Pony'' like you promised you would?'' he asked curiously.

'' Ah, I'm sorry about worrying you all with my absence, Naruto.' the wizard said solemnly.'' I was held captive and was unable to meet up with your group as promised.''

'' Held captive? '' Naruto gasped with wide eyes.'' How? By whom? Please don't tell me it was that Istari, Saruman the White!''

'' Unfortunately, it was indeed Saruman the White. '' the Grey Wizard sighed.'' Though I had hoped, from the bottom of my heart, that Saruman hadn't crossed the path to becoming a traitor. But when he stopped me from leaving the Tower of Orthanc to warn you all about the Nine Black Riders leaving Minas Morgul, I realized that Sakura had been right all along about Saruman plotting evil.''

'' Did he fight you, Gandalf?'' Naruto asked, leaning forward in the bed out of curiosity. '' I felt a huge explosion of power one evening. I wondered if it were you, for the power felt familiar.''

Gandalf was silent for a moment as he recalled the fierce battle he'd gone through in the Tower of Orthanc. He remembered the pain of being slammed against the marble floor, ceiling and walls.

But the bitterness of being betrayed by someone he had thought of as a friend and looked up to for leadership had been more painful than the physical agony.

'' He did, Naruto, but what happened shall not be revealed to you until the day of Elrond's council.'' he said to the young man.

Naruto looked a little put out at Gandalf's refusal to tell him what had occurred in Isengard, but he wasn't about to start arguing about it. For one, he had matured from the loud, impatient boy he'd once been on Konoha, and secondly, he still felt rather drained of energy.

He flopped back down on the softness of his mattress with a small sigh, but could stay thus for only about ten minutes as excitement kept him from sleeping. He wanted to see what Rivendell looked like.

He sat up with care, not wanting to put pressure on his left arm, and flung his legs over the side of the bed. Breathing in and out slowly, he pushed himself away from the bed and slowly, with wobbling steps, moved over to the outside balcony of his room. As he stepped outside, the first thing that popped into his mind was that the air around him felt warm and a gentle breeze was making his hair ribble. But still, even he knew that it shouldn't be this warm at this time of the year.

It just wasn't natural!

He closed his eyes and felt around with his senses for several long moments before his blue eyes suddenly snapped open in a flash. A great source of power was what was keeping this place so unnaturally warm and blooming even in the depths of October.

Naruto smiled as he walked over to the marble railing. Whatever was emitting such energy, wasn't as powerful as the One Ring or Kyuubi. And more importantly, it felt pure and didn't emit an evil aura.

But as he looked over the side of the balcony, his eyes widened at the sight of the many houses situated everywhere in the large canyon. From what he could see the large marble structures didn't upset the wildlife in the canyon, for everywhere the trees peeked out of the sides of the houses, and water was pouring into the large river from all sides of the canyon in great waterfalls. He also noticed a bridge that led to one of the houses, and a small river that ran under it.

'' Oh, wow! I've never seen a village like this before!'' Naruto exclaimed excitedly as he looked around from the top of the balcony

Gandalf smiled at the enthusiastic blond as he came to stand beside the Kyuubi- vessel and lowered a hand on his shoulder. '' Imladris is a wondrous place, isn't it? There was a time that this place was even more beautiful.''

He smiled at the curious expression on the young man's face.

'' Because back then, the air around here was laced with the sound of children running around laughing and playing. But if you look more closely now, you see that it is no longer thus.''

'' What has happened to all the children?'' Naruto asked. A solemn look crept on to his face.

'' They've grown up.'' Gandalf answered softly. '' The last elfling born in Rivendell was born a hundred-and twenty years ago.

'' N-nani (what)? A hundred-and twenty years ago?'' the ninja stuttered out in shock.

''Remember, Naruto, that the time of the elves is almost over. Many of them have already sailed the seas to Valinor. Those who remain are loath to leave this land yet.'' the wizard said with a vain smile on his lips.

Naruto looked at the railing sadly.'' We saw elves heading to the Grey Havens. Sam said that he didn't know why it made him so sad to see the elves leaving. But when I look back on the tales you told me, I realize that once the elves all leave Middle Earth, then the tales about them will no longer be more than a legend in the children s ears.''

Both the wizard and the Kyuubi-vessel stood there quietly, just looking out in the streets of Imladris.

Naruto hated to think that not so far in the future this place would no longer be inhabited by the fair folk.

All of the mystical beauty before him would slowly disappear. Age would start to chip away at the floors, walls and ceilings of the many halls and rooms. Roots of different plants and even trees would find their way inside from even the smallest of cracks, filling the rooms with vegetation. The massive gardens would be infested with plant eating bugs, insects and mammals that would quickly start nesting within the rooms themselves.

The garden flowers would be choked by wild flowers and weeds, and very soon the place would become unrecognizable to the eyes of those that had once walked the paths of the garden.

With a sad sigh, the Naruto leaned forward all the way and rested his head on his arms that were on top of the railing. But as his eyes happened to stray towards the large gates of Rivendell, he visibly perked up somewhat as he saw guests from different parts of Middle Earth arriving inside the gates on horses or ponies.

'' Dwarves!'' he gasped as he saw the short, stocky people with beards and a mustache dismounting their steeds. This was the first time he had seen them in person and it amazed him how small they were compared to elves and men. But they were still taller than hobbits

'' This peril involving the ring belongs to all of Middle- Earth. That is why Lord Elrond has called these people to Imladris.'' Gandalf said seriously.'' We must decide here how to stop Sauron's plans of taking over Middle- Earth.''

Naruto grimaced at the mention of the Dark Lord and pulled away from the railing.

He then made his way back inside his bedroom again, stopping to look at himself in a full-body mirror. Only now did he notice that he was clad in black, skin tight breeches that hugged his muscular legs and a long silver colored shirt with long sleeves. He looked a little thinner, but he still looked like the Naruto he had been the day he and his friends had departed from the Shire.

'' I need to go talk with Elrond now, Naruto.'' Gandalf spoke behind him. '' He has asked for my audience in his office. Oh, and why don't you go back to bed and rest for a while. I can see that you are still tired.''

The young ninja nodded silently and headed to the bed. He sank down on the soft bed covers with a slight groan as his slightly sore muscles protested from the movement. '

''Well, could you at least tell me where Sakura, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Sam and Strider are right now before you go?'' he asked with a grin.

Gandalf laughed and turned to look at the doorway where four heads were peeking curiously inside the room as if asking for permission to enter.

The wizard ''humphed'' slightly. It wasn't lost to him that the four had been listening to his and Naruto's private conversations.

He motioned for them to enter the room.

Naruto immediately sat up with an amused look on his face when Merry and Pippin pelted across the room and literally jumped on his bed. He laughed as the two clomped him in a friendly hug, all the while chattering how happy they were to see him finally awake.

Sam and Sakura entered the room with a little less boundless energy than the two younger hobbits, but that was because it wasn't in Sam's nature to act so energetically, and Sakura because she was carrying a fruit- bowl laden to the brim with different kinds of fruit.

'' Hey Sakura… Sam!'' Naruto said, his grin widening as his girlfriend sat down on the edge of his bed and sat the bowl of fruit on the bedside-table.

Merry and Pippin scrambled away from the shinobi and sat down on the other side of the mattress as Sakura leaned closer to plant a soft kiss against the young man's lips.

Naruto felt a blush creeping to his cheeks as he was still aware of the small audience in the room; he could hear Merry's and Pippin's muffled sniggering and Sam uttering a small embarrassed cough.

'' I'm so glad you are alright, Naruto.'' Sakura whispered lovingly as she pulled away some moments later.

Naruto smiled and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

He blushed an even darker shade of red when Sakura wiggled closer to him on the bed; it wasn't that he didn't like being affectionate towards her, but he was embarrassed about showing it in front of Gandalf, Merry, Pippin and Sam.

'' Oy, Naruto,'' Sam spoke up, finally stepping closer to the Kyuubi- vessel. He had a small smile on his face, '' why don't the two of you get a room…''

Naruto's face a resembled a ripe tomato by now as he threw a mortified glance at the chubby, blond haired hobbit.

'' And welcome back to the living world!'' Sam finished with a grin.

Gandalf burst out laughing at the conversation, and was still chuckling as he headed out the doorway, leaving the five friends to catch up on what had been happening during the days Frodo and Naruto had been laying unconscious.

Sakura had been, without much surprise, present during an operation that involved pulling out a shard stuck inside the Kyuubi-vessel's and Frodo's skin.

Naruto had been pretty alarmed to hear that his smaller shard had been found buried very deep inside his skin, and that if it hadn't been found, it would have buried itself even deeper.

And it had been the sole reason why he and the hobbit had not been getting better for a number of days.

But now, he and Frodo were recovering well from his ordeal; the hobbit currently resting inside his room for the feast taking place that same evening.

...

Some hours later, Naruto, Sakura, Merry and Pippin had left the Kyuubi-vessel's room to explore the many unique places of Rivendell together.

Naruto's was immediately drawn to everything he was seeing. The place was truly a beauty for a village, with every structure in sight gleameing in pearl and silver color.

Tree leaves that had changed color kept breaking free of the trees branches and were falling softly onto the ground around them, sometimes brushing over their cheeks before falling to the ground. And with every step they took there was a soft crunching sound as their feet trod over the dry ones.

As the four turned a corner, they spotted Frodo and Sam sitting on chairs around a small table. They were talking to a small hunched up figure with white hair and wrinkles on his skin. sitting on another chair around the table. The person had a book on his lap that he had apparently been reading.

'' B- Bilbo!'' Naruto gasped out as he suddenly recognized the hunched up figure to be the kind old hobbit whom had selflessly given his house to Frodo, Sakura and him.

The old hobbit turned at the sound of his voice and smiled as he saw whom had spoken. '' Its great to see you again, my boy!'' he exclaimed happily as the young man practically ran to him and pulled him into a gentle embrace.

'' Its great to see you, Bilbo!'' Naruto muttered as tears of happiness stung at his blue eyes. It had been so long since he'd seen the old hobbit whom had invited him and Sakura to stay at his house in Bag End the first time they'd arrived in the Shire. '' But I thought you would still be out somewhere in Middle Earth reminiscing on good memories of your journey. I hadn't hoped to see you here in Rivendell.''

'' I meant to go back to the places I traveled to; to wander the paths of Mirkwood, and to visit the Lake- Town.'' Bilbo paused for a moment as he seemed to recall the memories of the day he left Bag End.

He slowly stood up from his chair and walked away from the table. His steps were stiff and faltering as he balanced himself with his cane '' And see good old Lonely mountain again but age, it seems, has finally… caught up with me!''

Naruto said nothing as his blue eyes regarded the old hobbit more closely. Sadness clouded his eyes as he took in Bilbo's thinning white hair and the increase of wrinkles on his skin. And he looked so frail that the Kyuubi-vessel was sure he would have hurt him if he had hugged the hobbit any tighter than he had.

'' Ah, please don't look at me like that, Naruto.'' Bilbo said, smiling. He put a hand on the young man's arm. '' This old hobbit still has life in him.''

Naruto gave a small half-heartened laugh as he quickly wiped a stray tear from his eye.

'' Hmm, well now.'' Bilbo spoke up again as walked back to his seat. He sat down and reached down to a large brown leather pouch strapped on the chair. He rummaged inside the pouch for a moment before lifting a book on top on the table. '' I have something to show to all of you.''

''**There and Back Again, A Hobbit's tale by Bilbo Baggins**!'' Frodo read excitedly as he leaned forward to inspect his uncle's work. '' You have finished it then, uncle?''

Sam, Merry, Pippin, Naruto and Sakura came closer to the table as Frodo opened the cover of the book. They all looked amazed at the very detailed maps and pictures on the pages and Bilbo's straight, very neat handwriting.

'' This- this looks wonderful.'' Sakura whispered in awe. To think that everything in the book was handwritten and hand-drawn. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the book as page after page was shown to her.

'' Yeah, really.'' Frodo said quietly as he opened the next page and saw the map of the Shire.

A sad look came to his face as he traced the map lightly with his finger. Seeing it now made him realize just how much he missed his home.'' I miss the Shire." he spoke softly. "I spent all my childhood, pretending to be somewhere else; off with you on one of your adventures."

Frodo paused a moment before sadly concluding his speech. " But my own adventure turned out to be quite different."

He smiled vainly as Naruto and Sakura lowered their hands on his shoulders. He had no doubt that the two ninjas missed the easy-going life they had in Bag End as much as him and were able to sympathize with what he was feeling.

Sighing, he turned back to look at his uncle. After more than a year of soul-searching, he had come to one important realization which he needed to be voiced out.

He would not have been able to leave the Shire with Bilbo, and never to return to see the woods and little rivers of the hobbit lands. He couldn't have left his good friend Samwise, Meriadoc and Peregrin. And his new friends Naruto and Sakura.

"I'm… not like you, Bilbo." Frodo said quietly, his expression holding great sadness.'' I would not have been able to make the decision to leave the Shire and Bag End, and never return to see my friends.''

"My dear boy." Bilbo said, caressing his nephew's face with his hand to console the poor boy. He had been right all along, without question.

Frodo was still in love with the Shire.

Meanwhile, up in Elrond's office, both Gandalf and the Elf-Lord were watching the reunion going on outside in the gardens.

" Their strength returns." Elrond spoke thoughtfully as he observed the dark haired hobbit and the blond haired young man talking with old Bilbo in the presence of the three other hobbits and the young woman, Sakura, whom was also a ninja.

"That wound will never fully heal.'' Gandalf said.'' Frodo will carry it for the rest of his life, and I doubt that the fox-demon will be able to heal that wound on it's vessel; no matter how many mortal wounds the fox has healed in the past."

"And yet to have come so far, still bearing the ring, the hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to its evil. ''Elrond said as he walked away from the window.''And I have known a lot of strong warriors that would have quickly been overcome by that splinter that the young Uzumaki bore a lot longer than Frodo did. For which I think the fox was responsible for along with the boy's spirit to not give up."

"It is a burden," informed Gandalf, " that my friend should never have had to bear. We can ask no more of Frodo. And Naruto already carries scars of his own. He carries an unwanted burden that was bestowed upon him as a baby; one that he doesn't want to carry but he has no other choice."

Elrond sighed.

Oh, yes, he knew exactly what burden Gandalf was talking about. A burden that was just as difficult as keeping the One Ring safe from the enemies hands.

"Gandalf, the enemy is moving!'' he said, turning to face the Grey cloaked wizard.'' Sauron's forces are massing in the east and his eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman, you tell me, has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin."

''His treachery runs deeper than you know.'' Gandalf spoke with a pained frown as his thoughts once again returned to what happened in Isengard.'' By foul craft, Saruman has crossed Orcs with Goblin-men. He's breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight, and cover great distances with speed.''

The wizard's eyes hardened.'' Saruman is coming for the ring!"

"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves. ''Elrond announced with a frown.'' We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard!"

Gandalf sighed and turned to look outside the window. He knew Elrond was right, but he hated to put Frodo in a position where he would be in danger once again.

"Gandalf,'' Elrond spoke from behind him,'' the ring cannot stay here!"

The Istari nodded solemnly as he continued looking out the window. He saw more elves and Dwarves arriving through the gates of Rivendell.

One of the guests was a familiar Mirkwood elf Gandalf had known for a long time. The son of the Mirkwood king, Thranduil.

_'' Legolas Greenleaf_.'' Gandalf thought to himself. He turned to look at the tall man dismounting his horse. ''_ And there's Boromir of Gondor. ''_

"This peril belongs to all Middle-Earth '' Elrond announced.'' They must decide now how to end it. ''

He walked over to where Gandalf was standing by the window. ''The time of the Elves is over and my people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we've gone? The Dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches and therefore not caring about the troubles of others." he said, shaking his head slightly in disgust.

Gandalf turned to face the Elf-Lord with a resolved look on his face, "It is in men, that we must place our hope."

Elrond didn't look too thrilled to hear the Istari's answer. " Men, you say? Hmph… men are weak." he pointed out sadly.

He turned to walk further into the building.

Gandalf followed after him.'' Not all men are weak, Lord Elrond!''

'' Ah, yes, the Uzumaki boy has a strong will.'' Elrond spoke, his voice slightly bitter. '' But you should know, Gandalf, that the race of men is failing. The blood of Numenor is all but spent. Its pride and dignity forgotten. And it is because of men that the ring survived.'

His expression was hard as he turned to regard the Grey Wizard. ''I was there, Gandalf! I was there three- thousand years ago."

Elrond closed his eyes as he remembered back to the Great Battle against Sauron.

He recalled battling against several orcs near the place where the evil villain was preparing to bestow his death sentence upon the prince of Gondor.

He saw Isildur grab his father's broken sword and slice the ring off of Sauron's hand.

"When Isildur took the ring as a token of war," Elrond spoke as he recalled seeing Isildur pick up Sauron's ring. "I was there the day the strength of men failed. "

The Elf Lord closed his eyes. He had led Isildur into the scorching, burning heart of Mt. Doom where the ring was forged to bring everyone in Middle Earth under Sauron's rule. The one place the evil could be destroyed forever.

He had ordered Isildur to cast it into the pit of molted lava, but it seemed that the ring had already corrupted the conscience of the prince of Gondor, for he refused to let go of the ring. His eyes had darkened, and the man's eyes had continuously strayed to the ring in his hand

_"Destroy it!" the elf lord had shouted his order to the corrupted prince of Gondor. _

_"No!" Isildur had hissed, his voice dripping with malice.  
_

_The man had, then, turned his back on his once companion and walked away without a backwards glance. _

_"ISILDUR!" Elrond had yelled out one more, desperately hoping that it would make the Prince break away from the Ring's corruption. _

_Unfortunately, Elrond was reduced to watching the retreating back of Isildur as the man walked towards the entrance of Mt. Doom. _

" Everything should have ended that day.'' Elrond voiced out with bitterness in his voice,'' but evil was allowed to endure. And the sacrifices of all those whom perished in the line of battle were all for nothing.''

The elf paused for a moment before saying: '' The line of kings is broken. There is no strength left in the world of men. They are scattered, divided and leaderless!"

"There is one, who could unite them." Gandalf interjected solemnly, but with hope. "One who could reclaim the throne of Gondor."

Elrond still looked doubtful as he replied. " He turned from that path a long time ago. He has chosen exile."

At that same moment the Lord of Rivendell and the much respected Istari wizard were having their conversation, Strider, the rightful heir for the throne of Gondor, was sitting in a corner against the wall of a room with paintings of the Final Battle against Sauron painted on the walls, and a great statue situated in the middle of the chamber.

And if one walking in the room watched their surroundings carefully, they would find two glass-cases on each side of the statue. The longer of the two glass-cases held Gil-galad's great spear, Aiglos, and the smaller was for Elrond's Hadhafang, which was currently missing.

Strider believed that Arwen still had the sword in her keeping.

He was reading a small book when the sound of footsteps echoed on the stone floor.

The Ranger looked up to see a tall, burly man in Gondorian clothing entering the room.

The man was Boromir, son of Denethor and Captain of the White Tower.

'' You are no elf!'' the younger man stated calmly as he noticed Strider sitting there with the book he'd been reading loosely held in his left hand.

"Men of the South are welcome here." Strider replied, his voice just as calm.

"Really?" Boromir asked with a small smile. " Then it seems we are all here on a common purpose; as friends."

The man from Gondor turned to wander around the room, looking up at the paintings on the walls which told the story of the final battle between Isildur and Sauron.

He then happened to look down at the statue of an elven woman and noticed the remains of the sword, Narsil, on top of a big marble plate held in the hands of the statue.

" The Shards of Narsil!" the man exclaimed excitedly as he picked up the hilt and grasped it with both hands. "The blade that cut the ring from Sauron's hand."

Boromir ran one of his fingers up the blade, only to accidentally cut his finger on the surprisingly sharp edge.

"Its still sharp!" Boromir exclaimed with a small wince.

He slowly turned to regard Strider with an unreadable look on his face.

Strider stared right back at the Gondorian warrior. He was quiet and his expression, too, was unreadable.

'' But no more than a broken heirloom." the man from Gondor finished as he almost carelessly dropped the sword on the display table. But the blade was unbalanced and it fell, landing onto the floor with an audible ''clang''.

Boromir turned to walk out the door, leaving the heirloom on the marble floor.

As soon as the other man had left the room, Strider stood from where he had been sitting and walked over to the fallen heirloom. He crouched to pick it up and lowered it carefully back on the display table. He then backed away to stare at the statue, then up at the paintings of the Great War.

"Why do you fear the past?''

The Ranger gave a small smile at hearing the soft voice of Elrond's daughter, but schooled his expression to neutral as he turned to greet Arwen whom had entered the room from another door.

She had been indisposed from the general public due to her poor health after having used the energy draining connection with her father when saving the Ringbearer.

But as she stood there in her long dress made out of white silk and a matching white silk shawl thrown over her shoulders, it was clear that she had been fully recovered for days.

In her slender but strong hands she carried her father's old sword, Hadhafang in its detailed holster.

'' You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate." Arwen spoke as she came over to stand beside the man she had fallen in love with.

"The same blood flows through my veins." Strider answered solemnly as he turned to look into the maiden's beautiful eyes .''The same weakness."

" Your time will come. '' she said softly, but with conviction in her voice.'' You will face the same evil, and you will defeat it. Aragorn, the shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you… not over me."

Strider breathed in a shaky breath as Arwen raised her hand and let it slide down his cheek and lips; this was the only way they could show affection towards each other inside the halls of the Last Homely House without breaking the rules Arwen's father had bestowed upon them.

…...

At exactly six o'clock that evening, Naruto and the hobbits had finished cleaning themselves up and were all dressed for the great feast taking place in one of the big halls of Elrond's house.

As the young ninja calmly walked down the many stairs with Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam, he was amazed to see so many elves, dwarves and men of Middle Earth gathered up in this one hall.

Although it was a rather large hall.

'' Oh, hey look, guys! There's Lord Elrond, Gandalf and Glorfindel!'' Pippin exclaimed quietly, as he gave an almost unnoticeable gesture towards the end of a long table where Elrond sat on a big, wooden throne like chair.

Naruto turned to look and froze in amazement.

Elrond looked ageless, neither old nor young, but his eyes told that the years had left him great wisdom.

The elf lord's hair was ebony black which explained Arwen's dark hair and his eyes were a piercing gray color; like the color of a great storm-cloud.

Naruto then turned to look past the Elf Lord to see Gandalf and Glorfindel sitting on either side of Elrond.

Gandalf was the shorter of the two in stature, but he looked like a wise old leader with his broad shoulders, long silver hair and silver beard.

When his attention turned to Glorfindel, he noticed that the blond haired elf actually seemed to look younger than Lord Elrond, though he couldn't be sure of Glorfindel's age.

'' Hey, Naruto, where is Sakura?'' Frodo suddenly asked, pulling on the young man's sleeve.

'' Well, we were talking in our room, when one of Arwen's house maidens came to ship her off for some styling for the feast. She will be arriving with Arwen.'' Naruto answered with a grin, scratching the back of his head.

His other hand fingered, for the fifteenth time that day, a certain hard but smooth lidded object in his pocket. Tonight, he hoped, would be a very special occasion for the both of them. But they would still have to go through the whole occasion of dining with the rest of the guests in Rivendell.

Only then could they retreat to the vast gardens for some alone time together.

Frodo nodded with a smile on his face. '' I bet she will be very beautiful.''

Naruto was about to say something when a servant- elf came over to them and led the five of them to their chosen seats.

Merry, Pippin and Sam were led to one of the side-tables close to a dais.

Naruto and Frodo, though, were led to the main table where Lord Elrond sat at the head of the table.

As they sat down, Naruto realized there was one empty seat beside him. When he inquired about it, the servant told him that Sakura would be sitting there.

'' I don't know about you, Naruto, but I feel small and out-of-place sitting on the same table with such lordly folk.'' Frodo whispered nervously, a red tint appearing on his cheeks.

'' Well, I do not feel out-of-place, but it is quite an honor to sit on the same table as Lord Elrond. WHOA!''

Frodo followed Naruto's gaze and was shocked to see the source of the blond ninja's shock.

Sakura had stepped inside the hall with Lady Arwen walking alongside the young kunoichi.

The elf maiden had on a long, silver silk dress that hugged her slim waist and flowed around her legs. She wore a cap of silver lace and small white gems on her forehead. She also wore a white, medieval girdle over her waist.

Sakura had on a green dress that brought out the color of her eyes. It was looser than Arwen's, but the black girdle brought some support for the dress. It was also low-cut, but not so that it was scandalous.

But what was most surprising, and delightful, was that the kunoichi's waist-height pink hair was pulled up in a tight bun with two strands of hair framing her face. Her hair had no other ornament except what was keeping her hair in place, but she had on a necklace of ebony black pearls.

Frodo watched with an amused look on his face as Naruto stood up to take his girlfriend's hand. The young man then led her over to the table and pulled the chair back for Sakura to sit on.

The Baggins overheard a grinning Naruto say: '' You look really beautiful, Sakura.''

As the hobbit burst out laughing, he barely overheard the blushing kunoichi say '' Thank you, Naruto. You look quite handsome as well.''

'' Oh, Arda!'' the dark haired hobbit thought silently as he leaned his arms on the table and buried his face in them to stifle his chuckling. '' What would those two think if they had noticed the ogling glances of the dwarves and humans when Sakura stepped into the hall. It's a repeat of what happened in the Prancing Pony, except for the fact that Sakura's wearing a dress.''

He then gritted his teeth and stifled the urge to kick himself on the shin for still holding some interest in Sakura. It well and truly bothered him that the slight interest that had stayed in him when he had, for the first time, set eyes upon the kunoichi was still there.

After all, he was a hobbit and she was a human! To even think that they would be good for each other would be ludicrous; they were too different. He needed to stuff these feelings in a tiny box and shove them somewhere in the back of his mind where they would never be taken out into public.

Still, all the reasoning didn't change the fact that his friend really was a very beautiful young woman. Her forehead may have been slightly bigger than normal, but she had unblemished, delicate face features that took away the attention from her forehead.

And her pink hair was truly a wonder in Middle earth.

As soon as he had a handle on his emotions, Frodo raised his head quickly and turned to look at the long table again. He saw that Arwen had sat down under a canopy of woven clothes on the middle of the table and was having a conversation with another she-elf sitting next to her.

He turned around when he felt a slight tap on his shoulder and thanked the servant whom had come to serve him his meal and wine. He felt his mouth water at the food that smelled and looked delicious.

As he ate the food slowly, Frodo carefully absorbed the others sitting on the same table. He had to bite down a laugh as he saw Naruto feed Sakura a tomato from his own plate and the kunoichi doing the same with a piece of deer-meat.

He then turned to look at the richly dressed dwarf sitting on a chair to his right side. The dwarf's beard was long, forked and as white as the snowy white cloth of his garment.

'' Welcome and well met, Mr Hobbit.'' the dwarf spoke kindly as he noticed Frodo looking at him curiously.

Frodo was surprised and rather abashed as the dwarf rose from his seat and bowed to him.

'' Gloin at your service.'' the dwarf said and bowed still lower.

'' Ah, Frodo Baggins at your service and your family's.'' Frodo spoke hurriedly, but with correct manners as he rose from his seat quickly.

The comfy cushions he had been sitting on fell to the floor, which brought Naruto's and Sakura's attention to the standing hobbit.

'' Excuse me for asking, but are you one of the twelve companions of the great Thorin Oakenshield?''

Naruto and Sakura perked up even more at this tentative question as they shamelessly listened on to the conversation.

'' Ah, you are quite right, Mr Baggins.'' Gloin answered as he gathered up the dropped cushions and helped Frodo back into his seat. '' And unless I'm mistaken, you are the kinsman and adopted heir of our friend Bilbo. Allow me to congratulate you on your recovery.''

'' Thank you very much. '' Frodo replied with a smile.

He watched as Gloin turned to address both Sakura and Naruto.

'' Ah, and here are the guests from an opposite world. '' the aged dwarf spoke kindly as he took Sakura's hand and gave it a small courteous kiss. '' Gloin at your service, O beautifal lady. ''

'' Thank you. May my family be at your service, too.'' Sakura answered with a small blush on her cheeks.

Naruto sniggered slightly at Gloin's choice of words before standing up from his chair. As the old dwarf turned to address him, Naruto decided to be as respectful as possible.

'' Its highly enlightening to meet one of the twelve companions of Thorin Oakenshield.'' he said, and bowed.'' Naruto Uzumaki at your service.''

'' And its very enlightening to see people from the world Tora Akame came from. The story of how he came to be in Middle-Earth is very well-known in even our history books.'' Gloin spoke respectfully. '' Therefore, may my family be at your service, Mr Uzumaki.''

He stumbled a little on the pronunciation of Naruto's family name.

As time went by, the conversations between Frodo, Gloin, Naruto and Sakura became more serious.

The aged dwarf enlightened the three of them to many of the problems with orcs, goblins and wolves trying time and time again to block the paths of Dale, the Ford of Garrock and the High Pass.

Frodo soon came to realize just how different and sheltered his life in the Shire had been, and was loath to tell of the little problems the hobbits had to go through every day. Only the story of how he had come to travel to Rivendell was of great importance, but Gloin had told him that it would be a better idea to not talk about it until the Council of Elrond.

So it came to be, that he listened more than talked as the conversation turned to the many missions the ninja had to do in a days work sometimes.

'' Whoa!'' Gloin exclaimed as he shook his head.'' It's almost unbelievable that a person can create such destructive ways to take down their enemy in your world.''

'' We do not only create destructive weapons of combat.'' Sakura answered as she lifted a hand to her hair.

Frodo, Gloin and Naruto were surprised when she pulled out a small kunai from the folds of the bun and slit her palm deep enough to draw blood.

But as the aged dwarf and the others stared at the cut, Sakura concentrated on her chakra and soon the injured hand started to glow with the green healing chakra.

Naruto watched with satisfaction as the old dwarf's eyes widened at the sight of the wound healing right before his eyes.

'' We also help those whom we have been payed to protect and the ninja whom get injured while defending our village.'' Sakura said as she slid the kunai back into her hair.

Gloin gaped at her for a moment before regaining his composure. '' Aye, you surprised me for a moment there, lady Sakura.''

Sakura just smiled before asking: '' Would you tell us a little more of the happenings in the North, Gloin-san?''

'' Well, the son of Beorn, Grimbeorn is now the lord of the land between the mountains and Mirkwood,'' Gloin spoke with a smile. '' He and his men are the sole key to keeping the passage way from Dale to Rivendell open. '' he sighed. '' Without their help, the passage way would have long since been barred.''

'' What are the Beornings like in general; how do they act towards you dwarves as you cross through their land?'' Sakura asked as she took a sip from her goblet.

'' Ah, their not overly fond of us dwarves, but their trustworthy.'' Gloin answered with a small laugh. He then raised his goblet to take a swig of his wine. '' Well, I'd very much like to hear more about your life in the village called Konoha, so could you perhaps tell me?''

Naruto gave a small laugh and took the moment to start telling the dwarf some of the most memorable pranks he had played on the people of Konoha as a young boy.

He became extremely glad that his storytelling amused Frodo and the old dwarf.

And by the time they got to the painting of the Hokage Mountain and the Great Chase, his dark haired hobbit friend and Gloin were shaking with laughter as they silently imagined the reactions of the people in Konoha.

'' Oh, Valar, Naruto!'' Frodo said as he got his laughter under control. '' Honestly, I'm sure the old man Sarutobi was pulling his hair in frustration every time you gave him more paperwork.''

The hobbit sniggered again.'' You mentioned that he hated paperwork.''

Naruto grinned sheepishly while Sakura slapped a hand to her face.'' You forgot to mention the prank you, Merry and Pippin pulled on the day of Bilbo's birthday.'' she pointed out dryly.

Naruto and Frodo shared a glance and almost howled with laughter while Gloin just stared at them with interest. '' Now this I have to hear!'' he commented, which just had Frodo and the blond shinobi laugh to the point where they could hardly breath.

...

Night had already fallen upon the house of Elrond, but there were people still walking around the compound after the feast and quality time in the Hall of Fire where elves still sang and told stories to their hearts content.

Frodo Baggins was one of them. He was humming the tune of one of the songs he had heard in the Hall of Fire as he wandered around the compound.

He had left the hall early to go talk with his uncle privately in Bilbo's room. After his uncle had gone to bed, he had walked around the vast gardens of Rivendell thinking of the talk he had with Bilbo as the two shared their thoughts over the wonders of the things they had seen in their travels; like elves, the night stars and the strange and mysterious moving trees in the Old Forest.

Now he had wandered to a balcony where he found Sam packing his traveling pack.

As Frodo walked closer, he heard his friend mutter: '' "Now what have I forgotten?"

"Packed already, Sam?" the Baggins spoke up with curiosity in his voice. He smiled as his friend jumped slightly as his voice reached the blond hobbit's ears.

"No harm in being prepared." Sam answered with a shrug of his shoulders as he stood up straight.

"I thought you wanted to see the Elves, Sam."

"I do!" Sam answered, as he turned to put more of his things in his pack.

"More than anything." Frodo added.

"I did!" the blond haired hobbit retorted, straightening up again. " Its just… we did what Gandalf wanted from us, didn't we? We got the ring this far to Rivendell, and since you seem to be on the mend, I believe we can head back to the Shire soon."

Frodo was silent for a moment, but then gave a small smile and said: '' Your right Sam; we did what we set out to do. But…"

Sam watched his friend with a worried look on his face as the older hobbit's expression turned sad.

''I do not know what will be decided during the Councel of Elrond. We may not be able to go back to the Shire for a long time yet.'' Frodo finished with sadness in his voice.

Sam nodded silently, his expression unreadable. But the dark haired hobbit still recognized the stifled longing to go home the other hobbit was trying to hide from him.

'' When is the Council of Elrond, Mr Frodo?'' Sam asked. His body-language held no tension as he waited for the older hobbit to answer his question.

'' Early tomorrow morning, Sam.'' Frodo answered

'' Then you better go to bed, Mr Frodo!'' Sam exclaimed huffily as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder. '' If you don't, you might fall asleep during the council and that wouldn't make you look good in the eyes of the others who will be at the council.''

'' Ah, you are right, Sam!'' Frodo answered with a small laugh as the blond haired hobbit ushered him back inside the house of Elrond.

Meanwhile, out in the vast gardens of Rivendell, Naruto was walking along with his girlfriend by his side.

There was a complete, but comfortable silence between them as they admired the starry night sky whilst holding hands. The only noise that was audible came from Sakura's long dress scraping over the short grass as they walked around barefoot.

They stopped to sit and talk on a bench in one of the gazebos in the garden.

There were several of these large gazebos situated in different directions in the garden, but the one they had stepped into was the smallest.

They talked, but the subject wasn't the Ring of Power that their friend was carrying. Now that they had no worry for their friends or their own safety, the two young ninja were able to focus on much lighter subjects. They shared the many memories that had affected their lives the most whilst staying in Middle Earth.

Naruto had once, not too long ago, been very ambitious to become someone everyone in their village admired and looked up to. And now, because of several life altering changes, he had come to realize that having all the villagers accepting him didn't matter as much to him as it once had.

Not if he had the friends from Middle- Earth walking the path of life alongside him.

And the precious person he loved.

When their conversation turned to what they both wanted to experience in the future once the issue involving the One Ring was finished, Naruto became slightly nervous.

He knew what he wanted, but would his girlfriend want the same thing?

'' Sakura, how much do you really love me?'' he asked, looking nervously down at the short grass tickling the soles of his feet.

His question had Sakura staring at him in obvious disbelief.

'' Naruto, why must you ask this again? We've been over this a dozen times!'' The pink haired girl exclaimed with some exasperation. Leaning forward, she grasped the Kyuubi-vessel's larger hands in her own smaller hands and said firmly:''Listen, whatever love I had felt towards Sasuke, is no longer there! The once loud, obnoxious blond haired boy is now the one to hold my heart in his keeping!''

Naruto smiled as he leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. '' I just needed to be sure, Sakura. And by the way…'' he continued with a playful smirk ''… your forehead really is delightfully wide. You mind if I kiss it?''

Sakura gave an amused snort as her boyfriend planted a soft kiss on the middle of her forehead and gave the young man a playful shove on the shoulder.

A year ago she had been furious at him when he had told her that it had been him using the Transformation Jutsu to turn into Sasuke, for he had deliberately played with her feelings; and had made her believe that it had really been the dark haired, brooding Uchiha saying those endearing words to her.

Their talk had ended with Sakura storming out the door of Bag End towards the forest.

She hadn't talked nor acknowledged Naruto's existence in any other way for the whole following week that had followed the exchange, until finally the two ninjas had reconciled with each other.

But in these days, that certain memory of the day they graduated from the Ninja Academy, was turned into a source of amusement for the two young humans.

Naruto gave a satisfied smirk and rose from the bench with Sakura's hand still holding his and knelt in front of the pink haired kunoichi.'' Well, I'm glad you find our little exchange funny, but what I'm going to ask you now is no laughing matter.''

Sakura's breath caught in her throat as the young man took out a small, smooth wooden box from his pant's pocket.

'' Sakura, will you… will you marry me?'' Naruto asked as he opened the box to reveal a beautiful silver ring in the shape of a small opened cherry blossom with decorative golden leaves.

Sakura felt tears stinging at the back of her green eyes as she looked into Naruto's blue ones. Smiling through the salty tears, the young kunoichi rose from her seat and wrapped her arms around his boyfriend's neck and hugged him gently.

'' Of course I will.'' she whispered in his ear. Her smile widened as she felt the cool touch of the silver ring sliding onto her finger. '' Its so beautiful.'' she breathed out as she raised the ring in front of her eyes.

'' I had it made in Buckland.'' Naruto whispered with affection, nuzzling the young woman on the neck and breathing in her sweet scent. '' Merry gave me a tip, that there are some good smiths living there as well as farmers.''

Sakura said nothing, but the kiss on the lips she gave to him was enough of an answer.

Meanwhile, at another part of the gardens, another pair of lovers whom had long been estranged from each other for years due to the Dunedain traveling from one place to another; and a number of those journeys had been perilous.

Thus he had become the rugged, grim Ranger; skill in his art of combat and elven-wise

Strider, and Elrond's daughter, Arwen, were standing face to face on a bridge together.

Arwen's delicate, fair hand was touching the man's cheek that was scratchy and unsmooth from a light layer of stubble. The maiden's voice was soft, almost a whisper as she voiced out the question whether Strider had forgotten what she had promised to him in the hills of Cerin Amroth in Lothlorien.

Strider slowly ran his fingers across the beautiful pendant of the Evenstar on Arwen's neck and said softly. " You said you would bind yourself to me. That you will forsake the immortal life of your people."

"And to that I hold." Arwen said softly in resolve. "I would rather share one lifetime with you, then face all the ages of this world alone."

She took Strider's hand in her's,and when she pulled away, the Dunedain found Arwen's pendant sitting on his palm.

'' I choose… a mortal life.'' she announced with a whisper

Strider looked down at the silver pendant in his hand and shook his head. " You cannot give me this!" he exclaimed

"It is mine to give to whom I will." Arwen countered him gently; a smile was upon her lips " Like my heart."

She closed Strider's larger, calloused hand around the pendant and lifted it up to rest against his chest. Right over the spot where his heart beat steadily.

Strider let out a small sigh as he and Arwen leaned closer.

The long, sweet, breathless kiss seemed to last forever to the two of them.

And they almost hoped that it would last forever, but alas, they knew that much was needed to be done before they could spend the rest of their lives together…

**End of Chapter 10 **


	11. Chapter 11 The Council of Elrond

**Chapter 11 The Council of Elrond**

**Chapter summary: The Council of Elrond has commenced! Read what happens in chapter 11!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien!**

The next day dawned pale and cool, but Frodo Baggins woke up in his bed early that morning.

Once he had thoroughly washed his face with cool water in a marble bowl that had been put on his bedside- table, he felt refreshed and ready for the day despite his late evening walk in the gardens of Rivendell.

As he stepped out of his room, he found Sam waiting for him by the door. They greeted each other and set off for a nice morning walk together.

Frodo smiled as he sniffed in the clear scent of the valley and watched the sunrise above the far mountains.

Sam, on the other hand, had his sights upon the faraway mountains in the East; each one of the mountain peaks seemed to hold a huge amount of snow.

Just as the two were relaxing, a huge commotion was heard in one of the guest-rooms. A scream was followed by the sound of something being thrown; which was then followed by a very high-pitched yelp.

'' The scream had to have been Sakura.'' Sam said with a raised eyebrow as the two listened to the shouts echoing from the room. '' And the yelp had to have been Pippin. What in the Valar is that ruckus going on in that room?''

Frodo groaned in slight exasperation and rubbed the back of his head. '' Oh, Sam! I honestly don't want to know what's going on in that room.''

He abruptly started hurrying forward along the path, leaving Sam to stare dazedly out in the direction of the guest rooms; but after a moment of just standing there unmoving, Sam managed to shake himself back together and follow after his master.

As the two took a turn in the path, they found Gandalf and Bilbo sitting on one of the garden benches talking.

'' Ah, Frodo and Sam! Good morning!'' Bilbo greeted as he lowered a hand on each of their shoulders.

'' Good morning, Bilbo! And you, Gandalf!'' Frodo and Sam spoke at the same time.

Both of them were smiling.

'' Well, Frodo, do you feel ready for the council?'' Gandalf asked as he looked the dark haired hobbit over with his eyes.

'' Right now I feel ready for anything. '' Frodo said with a small laugh. '' Though I'd much rather like to go explore the pine-woods over there.''

He pointed out the North side of Rivendell that was pretty far off.

'' You may have a change later. '' Gandalf answered as he took a glance in the direction the hobbit had been pointing. ''But we cannot make any plans yet. There is much to hear and discuss during the council.''

Frodo hummed slightly before saying: '' I wonder how many people will be present during the meeting, and if any of my company has been invited. I know that I am since you told me yesterday and Bilbo will be there as well.''

'' From your company, your friends Naruto and Sakura are invited to attend.'' Gandalf said just as the ring of a single bell reached their ears.

'' It's the warning bell for Elrond's council!'' the wizard exclaimed as he turned towards the path they'd come from.'' Let us hurry now!''

Frodo and Bilbo hurried after Gandalf as the Istari led them quickly along the winding paths back to the house.

When they reached the place where the meeting was going to commence, Frodo found it to be the same terrace as where he had first seen his uncle after arriving in Rivendell.

Lord Elrond was already standing there in colors of rust and burgundy; there was also a touch of brownish-orange on the sleeves. The color of fallen tree-leaves, not unlike the ones that had dropped on the terrace from the trees nearby.

About three dozen other members of the council were already seated in chairs around the terrace.

Naruto and Sakura were already there as well. The two were wearing their ninja gear, much to Frodo's surprise.

Sakura's gear consisted of the familiar sleeveless red top with the high collar, black leather leggings and a brown leather skirt with a beautiful red flower- pattern and a slit on both sides of the skirt.

The skirt, Frodo knew, had been a gift to the kunoichi from Merry's mother.

Naruto wore a black fish-net shirt and pants that were a light shade of brown. His jacket was a darker brown color with an orange collar and sleeves.

The jacket had also been a gift from the Brandibuck family.

Frodo let his curious eyes wander from one sitting person to another. He took note that Glorfindel was seated next to Lord Elrond, and that Gloin sat on one of the chairs next to a younger looking dwarf with reddish-orange hair, mustache and beard.

Strider, he noticed, was sitting in a corner wearing his traveling clothes; the ones that must have seen many years of traveling since the fabric looked so worn and patched. And he also had his old cloak.

'' Ah, here is the hobbit Frodo, son of Drogo!'' Elrond said as he stood up to introduce Frodo to all of the company. '' He has come from a faraway land called the Shire on an errant that couldn't be anymore urgent!''

He then turned to the two ninjas and motioned for them to stand up.

The two rouse from their seats and came to stand by their friend's side.

'' And these two are apart of the small company of seven that accompanied Frodo to Rivendell.'' Elrond spoke, putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder. '' This young lady is named Sakura Haruno. From where she comes from, her name has the meaning of '' Cherry Blossoms''.

He then put his other hand on Naruto's shoulder.'' And this young man is named Naruto Uzumaki. His name means'' Whirlpool.''

The folk present nodded their understanding.

Elrond then motioned for Gandalf and Bilbo to sit down whilst proceeding to tell Frodo, Naruto and Sakura the names of those present to the meeting; minus the people the three already knew by name.

One of the mentioned people was Gimli son of Gloin, who had come to Rivendell with his father. Another was Elrond's counselor, Erestor.

The other most important people were Galdor from the Grey Havens, Legolas son of Thranduil from Mirkwood and Boromir of Gondor.

'' Now, '' Elrond said as he finished introducing the people gathered, '' let us begin this council!''

The hours went by slowly for those present at the council as they talked over many important happenings in different parts of Middle Earth.

Elrond had begun the council by telling them all the story of Sauron and the Rings of Power, and their forging in the Second Age of the world long ago.

Many eyes of the council showed wonder and fear as the Elven Lord spoke of the Elven-smiths of Eregion and their friendship with Moria.

At the time Sauron's heart hadn't been black. He had worked with the Elven-smiths to gain knowledge from them and they in turn learned from him.

But then a darkness crept into Sauron's heart and he betrayed his comrades by forging the One Ring to be the master of the nine others in the Mountain of Fire.

A war broke out when Celebrimbor found out Sauron's treachery, as Sauron tried to find the three rins the elven-smith had hid.

Elrond also spoke of Numenors glory and their fall, and the Numenorians return to Middle Earth from the depths of the sea; borne on the wings of a storm. He told them all about Elendil the Tall, and his two sons Isildur and Anarion and their journey to becoming great lords of the North- realm Arnor and the South- realm in Gondor above the mouths of Anduin.

Naruto and Sakura were almost leaning out of their seats from sheer curiosity, as Elrond finally recalled the story of how Tora Akame had appeared in Gondor after his use of his Kekkei Genkai, and was found sprawled in the fields by the eldest daughter of one of Gondor's many stable men and his one day to be wife.

Her name had been Dalma, daughter of Noma.

When it had come to the day the Last Alliance was formed to free Middle Earth and its people from the horror that was Sauron, Akame and his two eldest sons had bid farewell to their family and had joined Elendil and his troops into the war for the future of Middle Earth.

'' I do remember the splendor of all the banners,'' Elrond spoke with a small sigh.'' It reminded me of the glory days during the Elder Days and the hosts of Beleriand. So many great princes and captains were assembled and yet not so many, not so fair. And when Thangorodrim was broken, the elves deemed that evil was ended forever; and yet it was not so.''

'' You remember?'' Frodo suddenly exclaimed out loud in astonishment. '' But I thought…'' he stammered, blushing as Elrond turned to look at him''… that the fall of Gil-galad was a long time ago!''

'' It was indeed, Frodo son of Drogo.'' Elrond answered with a grim look on his face.'' But my memory reaches back to even the Elder Days. My sire was Earendil, and he was born in Gondolin before its fall. And my mother was Elwing, daughter of Dior, son of Luthien of Donath.

'' Then, if you have lived that long, Lord Elrond,'' Sakura spoke up respectfully from where she was seated,'' then you must have been present during the battle of the Last Alliance.''

'' I was the herald of Gil-galad, lady Sakura!'' Elrond answered. '' I marched to war with his host and I was there at the battle of Dagorlad before the massive Black Gate of Mordor. We could all smell victory at our hands, for the spear of Gil-galad and the sword of Elendil, Aiglos and Narsil, no orc or goblin could withstand. Then on the slopes of Orodruin, we were assaulted by a new enemy; one that slew many of our brave warriors, both elven and mortal, with just one swing of his massive black mace!''

'' So, Sauron came to the battle-field and slew all those warriors, didn't he?'' Naruto asked as he squeezed the hands resting on his lap into fists.

'' He was a terror to behold with his height that towered over any Numenorian and his pitch-black armour.'' Elrond replied.'' And the massive mace that slew many.''

'' Did Sauron kill Gil-galad and Elendil on the slopes of Orodruin?'' Sakura asked, trying to remember the stories Gandalf had told her and Naruto as they were traveling towards the Shire for Bilbo's birthday.

'' Yes!'' Elrond answered with sadness in his voice. ''Gil-galad and Elendil were both killed by Sauron's hand. It was when Isildur took his father's sword and cut the ring from Sauron's hand, that Sauron's might was overthrown. But…''

'' Not fully vanquished!'' Sakura spoke with a sad sigh.'' Because Isildur took it for himself!''

'' Alas, he did!'' Elrond said. '' It shouldn't have come to the point where Isildur would just keep the ring to himself. I took him to the heart of Mount Fire and told him, no, ordered him to throw it into the fires, but he refused! ''

The Elven- Lord paused in his speech for a short moment before saying:'' I once more tried to reason with Isildur at the camp. Cirdan and Tora Akame, whom I found out later to have seen the prince cut the ring from Sauron's hand, were there as well. Unfortunately, Isildur wouldn't listen to our council. Not even to Akame's! Harsh words were exchanged between the two once friends, because Akame was grieved over loosing his eldest son in the war. He was killed by the Dark lord himself. And Isildur was grieving at the loss of his father and brother to Sauron. In the end, their friendship was in shambles.''

Elrond breathed in a deep sigh, and said: '' The last words Isildur spoke to us before he left for Gondor with his men, were: ''This ring I will have as a weregild for my father, and my brother. And as for Akame, he returned to Gondor with his second born son, resigned from duty as a warrior of Gondor, packed whatever his family owned and traveled all the way to Imladris with what was left of his family.''

'' They stayed here for a decade,'' Elrond continued with a small smile,'' because when the family arrived here it was discovered, that Dalma was pregnant with twins. Akame prolonged their stay here in Imladris until his boys had grown up some, before making the decision to head off again; in the end, they settled in a new home in Rohan.''

'' You think there still are heirs of Tora Akame dwelling in the land of Rohan, lord Elrond?'' Naruto spoke up with obvious curiousness in his voice.

'' I really can't be sure.'' Elrond spoke; the small smile he had on his face before turned into a frown.'' Because its been so, so very long since someone from that line of men has visited Imladris. There could still be men and woman of that line living in Rohan, or they've scattered somewhere else in Middle- Earth; or there are no more people of that line walking in the lands of this world.''

Everyone present during the council sat a moment in silence, after Elrond had ceased speaking.

Sakura and Naruto were quietly contemplating the odds of finding a heir to Tora Akame in the land of Rohan, if they ever to venture there.

…...

'' Well, I have to say to you three, that your account of everything that has happened since I left my home of Bag End would have made a good story for my book, if the council hadn't kept interrupting at every opportunity!'' Bilbo exclaimed with a small laugh, once Frodo, Naruto and Sakura finished telling all the members of the council of the problems and dangers they had run into during their long journey from the land of the Shire to Imladris.

'' I tried to take a few notes, but we have to get together some time and go over the story again if I'm to write it up. There are whole chapters of stuff before you even got here. '' he finished with enthusiasm.

Sakura and Naruto chuckled at the old hobbit's enthusiasm, but Frodo was looking at the marble- floor with a thoughtful look on his face.

'' Yes, it made quite a long tale, '' Frodo muttered out loud,'' but the story still doesn't seem complete to me. I still want to know a good deal, especially about Gandalf!''

'' You speak for me also, Frodo Baggins!'' Galdor of the Havens exclaimed; he had overheard the hobbit's words.

He turned to address Elrond. '' Do we have proof that the ring this hobbit brought to Imladris is the One Ring? And why is there one member of the council missing? Shouldn't Saruman, master of lore, be here as well to listen to our council?'' he asked.

'' The questions you ask, Galdor, are bound. '' Elrond pointed out.'' I have not overlooked them, and they shall be answered now by the one who knows what happened best. I call upon Gandalf to tell us all what he has discovered.''

Gandalf used his long, wooden staff to pull himself to his feet, and opened his mouth to recall what had occurred in the Tower of Orthanc with Saruman, and what had happened during the time he was searching for answers to why Bilbo's ring had emitted such an evil presence

The whole council listened with rapt attention.

When the noon- bell finally rang as a sign for a fifteen minute break, Naruto and Sakura were glad to leave the terrace for a while. They wanted to spend some time alone together.

'' Gah, I feel like a squeezed lemon at the moment!'' the Kyuubi vessel moaned out as he rested his head on Sakura's shoulder.

He, and his fiance were sitting on a sturdy branch up in a nearby tree with the kunoichi sitting on Naruto's lap. It seemed like a good, quiet place to have some well earned privacy.

'' I really don't understand how the old man Hokage and Tsunade- baachan (grandmother) were able to stand all those meetings in Konoha without coming up completely drained. Anyway, what did you make of the tale Gandalf and Strider told about finding Gollum?''the young man continued miserably.

'' First of all, Naruto, don't call my shishou a baachan or I will knock you off this branch! '' Sakura growled out as she turned around in his lap to brandish a fist in front of her fiance's face.

Naruto cringed at the look on Sakura's face.

'' And as for what I feel about Strider's and Gandalf's tale, I feel that it was very brave of Strider to have walked in sight of the Black Gate of Mordor and tread his way through the Dead Marshes looking for that wretched Gollum creature. It makes me respect him so much more.'' the young woman whispered as she relaxed in her fiance's arms. '' But it is a shame that the creature managed to escape from Mirkwood. Now we have no idea where he is and what his doing but he might be coming for the ring. And its also a shame that my beliefs that Saruman was plotting evil did come to pass.''

'' Aye, it must have been hard for Gandalf to find out Saruman's treachery when he went there to seek council from him.'' Naruto said softly, before turning to look down at the terrace. His curiosity was quickly fixed upon a large bush near the terrace and a big marble statue.'' Ummm… Sakura, should we tell Gandalf or lord Elrond that Sam, Merry and Pippin are listening to the council?''

'' No, let the hobbits be, Naruto!'' Sakura answered with a small laugh as she leaned forward to gaze down at the three hobbits.'' Its good that Sam, Merry and Pippin care so much for Frodo. And I actually have to commend on their skill for hiding.''

Naruto chuckled at his fiance's words and gently nibbled on Sakura's ear-lobe.

Sakura's mouth curled up in a smile as she shivered in pleasure at the gentle nibbling sensation; she then turned to kiss Naruto on the lips as her fiance slipped a hand under her top to feel the toned skin over her stomach.

They went on it for a while, until they heard the jingling of the bell that told that the council was about proceed.

Fifteen minutes had gone a little too fast for the two lovers.

When Naruto and Sakura arrived at the terrace, they took note that they had been the last ones to return and all eyes of the council were upon them as they trod over to their seats.

When the two had taken their seats, Elrond stood up to speak.

'' As you well know, friends and allies,'' he said, loud enough to be heard by all present,'' we have all gathered here to decide what to do to stop the peril that threatens all of Middle Earth.''

'' Then what in the seven hells have we been going over for the past several hours?'' Naruto commented sarcastically, leaning forward to speak in his fiance's ear.

'' Shhhh!'' Sakura hissed back, hitting Naruto on the knee. She glared daggers at her fiance whom immediately piped down under her glance.

'' None can escape it.'' Elrond continued.'' You will unite, or you will fall. Each race and realm is bound to this fate, this one doom!"

Elrond then turned to address the younger, dark haired hobbit and beckoned him to come forward. " Bring forth the ring, Frodo."

The dark haired hobbit stood up from where he had been sitting next to Gandalf and walked over to the middle of the terrace where there was a round stone stand. He slowly placed the golden ring on the surface of the stone stand before turning and walking back to his seat.

Naruto and Sakura immediately looked away from the One Ring. Instead, they watched as the expressions of those around them turned from neutral to astonishment and fear .

"So, it is true!" the man from Gondor, Boromir, exclaimed in a hushed tone.

For a moment no one spoke, then Boromir abruptly stood up to say what he had in mind.

He was a very sturdily built man with massive arm and leg muscles. And now that he was standing, his height was shown to be not far from Strider. He had blond, shoulder length hair and a short brown beard.

And his eyes were dark gray and calculating

'' We have sat here for many hours, going through many of important stories. '' he began. '' I mentioned that I had seen a dream one night, where I heard a voice saying:''

_Seek for the sword that was broken:_

_In Imladris it dwells;_

_There shall be councels taken_

_Stronger than Morgul- spells._

_There shall be shown a token_

_That doom is near at hand, _

_For Isildur's Bane shall waken, _

_And the halfling forth shall stand_

Boromir paused in his speech and turned to stare at Frodo for a long while. He then turned to look at the ring on the stone stand. '' And now I find, that the dream was true. I see Isildur's bane here in front of me.''

He wandered closer to the stone stand where the hobbit had placed down the ring.'' Isildur's Bane.'' the man whispered as he reached for the small golden ring.

'' BOROMIR!'' Elrond exclaimed hurriedly, standing up to stop the man from touching the One Ring.

Naruto and Sakura were shocked to see the Elf-Lord's stormy gray eyes showing real anger and fear for the first time since they had arrived in Imladris.

And at the same moment Elrond had called out Boromir's name, everyone present heard Gandalf begin to chant.

'' _Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul_,'' the Istari thundered as a shadow passed over the high sun. The porch they were all gathered in, grew dark. _''Ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi KRIMPATUL!''_

At the last verse, Gandalf's voice turned completely. As hard and menacing as it had been when he started chanting, the last verse came out powerful and as harsh as stone.

Naruto, Sakura, Frodo and Bilbo all shivered at the change in the wizard's voice.

And if any of them had been looking around at the others of the council, they would have seen the elves holding their hands over their ears.

But it wasn't like they were doing any better.

Sakura was staring down at the ring in fear. The ring, like Orochimaru's seal, was something that gave power, but also poisoned a person's mind.

She closed her eyes and trembled as she reminded herself what had happened in the Forest of Death when Sasuke had gotten the seal.

'' Sakura? SAKURA!''

The young kunoichi was brought back to awareness at the touch of Naruto's hands gently shaking her on the shoulders.

'' Sakura, what's wrong?'' the young man whispered in her ear. He was startled when his fiance buried her head in his chest.

'' Naruto, I do not want you to be corrupted by that ring. Its… its like Orochimaru's seal. It gives you power but eats at you from the inside. Remember what Bilbo said he felt like after having the ring for so many years? And what about Gollum? The ring consumed the poor creature completely!''

'' Sakura, I…!'' Naruto began but was interrupted by lord Elrond's words.

'' Never before has any voice dared to utter words of that tongue in Imladris, Gandalf the Grey!'' the Elf-Lord said as the shadow finally dispersed. He didn't sound at all happy at the wizard.

'' And let us hope that none will ever speak it here again.'' Gandalf answered calmly as he sat down on his seat again. '' Nonetheless I do not ask for your forgiveness Lord Elrond, for the black speech of Mordor may yet to be heard in every corner of the west. The ring is altogether evil!''

"No, it is a gift!" Boromir spoke.

His words had everyone turning their eyes on him suspiciously

" A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this ring?" the man from Gondor went on as he again rose from his seat. " Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, have kept the forces of Mordor at bay! By the blood of our people, are your lands kept safe!''

'' Pretty high on himself isn't he?'' Naruto muttered to his fiance. '' He doesn't understand just how dangerous that ring is, or that it's already calling for him!''

Sakura ''shushed '' him again but was already fingering at her knife-holster.

'' Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy! Let us use it against him!" Boromir announced with insistence.

"You cannot wield it!" Strider spoke in a firm tone from the corner, where he was seated. " None of us can! The One Ring answers to Sauron alone; it has no other master!"

''And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked skeptically.

'' A lot more than you do it seems, Mr Boromir!'' Sakura spoke in a hard, but controlled tone of voice for the first time, since telling the council what mishaps had happened on their journey to Rivendell. '' You said that Lord Elrond's might is in wisdom, not his weapons. So why don't you open your ears and listen to those who actually know something! This Ranger, you spoke to sceptically was the key to our company arriving to Rivendell safely, so please speak to him with more respect!''

'' And why don't you go back to your seat, young lady!'' Boromir said with some anger as he walked over to where the kunoichi was standing.

But despite him towering over the pink haired woman, Boromir found that she wouldn't back down.'' Actually, why don't you return to the kitchen where you belong! You woman shouldn't even be attending this council!'' he continued with the same tone of voice as before.

'' I can't believe your are such a sexist, Mr Boromir!'' Sakura hissed as her green eyes flashed with anger at the man's insult. She clenched her hands into fists. '' Naruto and I did tell you about our village, didn't we? Men and woman are treated with equal respect there! ''

Boromir looked like he was struggling not to hit the pink haired woman for her sexist remark, but when Naruto stood up from his seat and walked over to stand behind Sakura with a warning look in his clear blue eyes, the Gondorian decided not to invite trouble upon himself in the presence of the woman's protective partner.

" The man you spoke of is no mere Ranger! '' the young elf, whom the two ninjas remembered as Legolas, spoke as he too stood up from his seat. He may have been slender in built (though obviously muscular), like elves usually were, but he was tall enough to stare the Gondorian man straight in the eyes. '' He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn! You owe him your allegiance! And please refrain from insulting these people who played such an important role to bring Frodo Baggins safely to Imladris!"

"Aragorn?" Boromir interjected. He looked like he didn't believe the elf's words " This… is Isildur's heir? The one Lord Elrond said to have grown up here in the last Homely House?"

" And heir to the throne of Gondor!" Legolas finished with great respect for the ragged looking Ranger.

Naruto jumped slightly at the stunning piece of news that the Ranger he had been traveling with for days was, in reality, the lost king of Gondor and last living relative of Isildur.

He turned to stare curiously at said man sitting in the corner completely calm.

Sakura's looked slightly amused at her lover's surprise. She had expected something like this after reading the poem written by Gandalf in the letter addressed for Frodo in Bree; but hadn't been sure if her conception held truth until it had been revealed to have truth on the day of the council.

For a moment no one spoke. Then…

"Havo dat, Legolas (Sit down, Legolas)," Strider, or as the Council members had found him to be, Aragorn, told the elf he had known as a good friend for many, many decades.

The Prince of Mirkwood threw one last hard glance in Boromir's direction before going back to his seat.

Naruto silently led Sakura back to their seats.

" Hmph…Gondor has no king." Boromir muttered spitefully, loud enough for everyone to hear him. He then turned to look at Aragorn. " Gondor needs no king."

Naruto turned around and glared at the older man as Boromir walked back to his seat. It angered him that the man of Gondor was so disrespectful to both Sakura and the Ranger who had become one of his good friends. And in front of the whole council!

Silence had fallen upon the Council once more, then…

"Aragorn is right, we cannot use it." Gandalf finally spoke up from where he was sitting next to Frodo. He had very much expected Sakura to lash out at Boromir with more than just words, but much to the wizard's relief, nothing like that had happened and even Naruto had kept a cool head when his girlfriend had been insulted.

Elrond then took the cue to announce to everyone what was on his mind. He stood up said:" You have only one choice. The ring must be destroyed!"

Boromir let out a frustrated sigh. Those who glanced his way could see that he wasn't at all content to hear those words.

'' Then what are we all sitting here for?'' Gimli the dwarf uttered with low growl. '' Let's destroy this ring of power!''

He stood up quickly and grabbed the battle ax resting against his hip.

"No, wait, Gimli!" Naruto shouted hastily as he jumped to his feet to intercept the young dwarf as the aforementioned person raised his ax high up in the air.

With a roar, the dwarf brought his ax down against the ring and the pedestal just as the young ninja reached out his hand to stop him

**CRACK!**

Gimli's weapon broke into dozens of pieces when it came into contact with the golden ring and the dwarf himself was forcibly repelled backwards from the backlash emitting from the ring's power.

His fall to the ground was cushioned by Naruto whom had happened to be standing behind him at the time his ax connected with the Ring of Power.

Those watching gasped in fear and shock at the sight of the unblemished object on the pedestal, but Sakura gasped out for a totally different reason.

She felt it again; the same sensation she had felt in Bag End when Gandalf had touched the ring.

The unimaginable power that flowed through the ring!

She buried her face in her hands as she saw the eye of Sauron flash through her mind.

Frodo, whom had also seen Sauron's eye flash through his mind, covered his forehead with his hand as he winced in pain at the power he felt flashing through him.

"Frodo!" Bilbo exclaimed from his side. "Frodo, are you alright?"

The younger hobbit weakly looked up at his uncle and nodded through the headache searing through his brain and skull.

Meanwhile, an absolutely stunned looking Gimli struggled to his feet and helped the groaning Kyuubi-vessel to his feet.

The blond ninja still looked rather winded by the dwarf's heavy form falling on top his stomach and his head ached terribly from the rush that came from Sauron's power.

And as all of this was going on, the One Ring continued to mutter the Black Speech out loud. And it sounded angry, like it sensed that someone had tried to do harm to it.

Everyone was still in shock as Elrond stood up from his seat to explain the reason for the unexpected occurrence.

" The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin,'' the Elven Lord spoke seriously as he looked the dwarf straight in the eyes,'' by any craft that we here possess! The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there, can it be unmade! It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm whence it came!"

Frodo turned to look at the One Ring with fear in his gray-blue eyes. He had hoped to never hear that the ring needed to leave Rivendell after everything he had gone through to bring it to the Last Homely House.

"One of you… must do this!" Elrond finished, as the ring finally stopped muttering the dreadful language of Mordor.

Moments of silence followed the Elf- Lord's words. Then the silence was broken by no other than Boromir, the son of Gondor's steward.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." the man spoke with an exasperated tone of voice

Everyone listened intently as Boromir went on. " Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the Great Eye is ever watchful. '' the man of Gondor spoke ominously.'' It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash and dust. And the very air you breathe… is a poisonous fume! ''

Boromir paused to eye those around him. " Not even with ten- thousand men fighting at your side, could you do this! It is folly!" he concluded with obvious skepticism.

Naruto's left eye twitched at the older man's words.

He was about to stand up to protest, when Legolas suddenly lost his patients with the skeptical man.

" Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?'' the young elf cried out in exasperation, his sky blue eyes flashing in anger as he stood up on his feet. '' The ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose," Gimli suddenly interjected, " you think you're the one to do it?"

Naruto and Sakura blinked simultaneously at the distrust audible in the dwarf's voice.

'' _Where the hell did that comment come from_?'' the two ninjas wondered inwardly with some puzzlement at Gimli's words

" AND WHAT IF WE FAIL, WHAT THEN? " Boromir shouted, as he stood up to lash out at the elf with his words, " WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SAURON TAKES BACK WHAT IS HIS?"

Gimli jumped to his feet, fuming as he stared up at the son of Thranduil. "I will be dead before I see the ring IN THE HANDS OF AN ELF!"

'' Dear Kami!'' Sakura sighed as she slapped a hand to her forehead as she listened to the dwarf's raging temper.

The elves and dwarves, whom had been sitting near her, suddenly jumped to their feet to join in on the argument.

'' NEVER TRUST AN ELF!" Gimli spat with venom.

The elves of Mirkwood suddenly looked ready to kill the dwarf. And they would indeed have attacked the son of Gloin if Legolas, the leader of their mission to Rivendell, hadn't held out his arm to stop them from mauling the dwarf with the foul- tongue.

'' You think Gimli's angry at how the elves of Mirkwood, especially the king, treated his father all those years ago, Sakura?'' Naruto whispered in his fiance's ear. He and Sakura were still watching the situation happening before them.'' And now his lashing out at Legolas for what the prince's father did to Gloin and the other twelve dwarves.''

'' I can't be sure, but that would be the most understandable reason. '' Sakura answered with a small grimace. '' And now, everyone's nerves are on edge when such a small object could bring back Sauron's physical form; and if that happens, the lands of Middle- Earth will be tossed back into fear and darkness! ''

'' The two of you are mostly right, I think.'' Bilbo spoke as he came to join the two ninjas.

He had left to join the two since Frodo seemed to have gone into some sort of trance and the old hobbit sensed that he needed to leave his nephew into his own thoughts.

Bilbo then sat down in the chair next to Sakura to watch the occurring debate and Gandalf trying to end the needless bickering.

"Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows? None can escape it, YOU WILL ALL BE DESTROYED!" he spoke powerfully over all the loud bickering.

Still, no one listened to the wizard's words.

The ring, meanwhile, had returned to muttering its black speech…

_Ash Nazg Durbatulûk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! _

A confused, scared hobbit left sitting alone in his chair was staring at the ring with uneasiness as fires began to flare up between the images of the arguing members of the council.

The voice coming from the One Ring quickened it's speech.

_Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul…! _

Suddenly, a wave of determination dawned on Frodo's face. He stood up from his chair and shouted to be heard over the noises of the others arguing.

''I will take it!" he cried.

At first, no one except Naruto and Sakura heard the voice of their friend. The two shared a look of wonder at Frodo's words.

"I WILL TAKE IT!" Frodo shouted out again.

This time the members of the council heard his words, and slowly, but surely each one of them quieted their arguing.

Gandalf and Bilbo closed their eyes in emotional pain at the heavy burden that Frodo would have to take with his decision.

"I will take the ring to Mordor!" the dark haired hobbit stated once last time with determination shining in his gray- blue eyes. " Though…" Frodo's eyes turned solemn, "…I do not know the way."

Gandalf smiled down at the brave hobbit. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, for as long as it is yours to bear." he spoke, walking over to stand behind the hobbit.

Aragorn smiled as he too stood up from his chair situated in the corner of the terrace and came to stand next to the young Baggins. He had been truly touched by the hobbit's bravery.

" If by my life or death, I can protect you, Frodo… I will.'' he spoke, and knelt down in front of Frodo." You have my sword.''

Gandalf and Elrond exchanged a wordless glance of approval at Aragorn's words.

'' And you have my bow.'' Legolas spoke up suddenly, breaking out of the brief and private council he had with the members of his own traveling company.

"And my axe!" Gimli added firmly at hearing the elf's words.

The two individuals came to stand by Frodo's side, both noticeably tense at having to stand so close to each other.

Gimli frowned slightly when he noticed the sad, and worried expression that had come over his father's face when he'd agreed to be apart of the company heading to the land of Mordor; he needed to talk to his father that evening and assure him that he was going to be fine, despite the dangers they'd meet on the way and in the borders of Mordor.

Naruto and Sakura shared a short glance with each other before standing up. Both of them looked very determined as they walked over to the others whilst holding hands.

Frodo's face broke into a wide smile, as he guessed what the two were going to say.

'' Why break our earlier fellowship and let you leave on this dangerous journey without your friends to back you up?'' Naruto spoke with a grin. '' I'll protect you, Frodo.''

'' The people going with you may get injured at some point.'' Sakura spoke with a soft smile, '' And so might you, Frodo. Therefore I won't let you go on this journey without me.''

'' Thank you Naruto and Sakura.'' Frodo whispered as tears of joy stung at his eyes at having four of the closest people he knew, going with him on the long arduous journey to the land of Mordor.

'' You carry the fates of us all, little one.''

Frodo, Naruto, Sakura and the other members whom had volunteered to go with Frodo, turned to look at The steward's son, Boromir, whom had spoken.

'' If this is indeed the will of the council… then Gondor will see it done!" the man finished his speech.

Then, just as he finished speaking, an exclamation was heard in one of the bushes.

Then, Sam threw himself out of the bushes and ran to stand by his master's side.

" Mr Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" he announced firmly.

"No, indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond stated with an amused smile. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he took notice of the blond hobbit's suddenly sheepish expression.

"WAIT! We're coming too!"

Everyone turned to look as Merry and Pippin came running from behind the marble pillars.

" You would have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry said as the two dodged to the left to avoid colliding with the perturbed looking Lord Elrond in their hurry and came to a stop by the number of people standing near Frodo.

"Anyway," Pippin piped in, " you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission… quest… thing!"

Those standing by Frodo twitched slightly at the young Took's childish words.

Sakura once again slapped a hand to her face and uttered a sigh in slight despair.

Naruto sniggered under his breath as he lowered a comforting hand each on the hobbits shoulders.

"Well," Merry pointed out between clenched teeth. He was quite embarrassed for his companion "that rules you out Pip."

Pippin was about to nod, when he realized just what Merry had said about him. Instead, he pinched the Brandibuk on the arm.

Merry's comment made Sakura, Frodo and Sam burst out sniggering at the two wild, young hobbits.

But they all quietened down, when Elrond stood up to voice out what he was thinking.

" Eleven companions..." he spoke as he surveyed the large group standing by the dark haired hobbit,'' "So be it! You shall be the Fellowship… of the Ring!"

"Great." Pippin exclaimed with excitement, but showed soon after, that he hadn't been listening as well as he should have during the council, when he asked: " Where are we going, again?"

'' To Mordor, Pippin.'' Naruto groaned out in exasperation as he fell over backwards anime- style.

Sakura looked just about ready to do the same thing; she had a large sweat drop glistening on the side of her head as she stared at the youngest hobbit in disbelief.

She opened her mouth to fully berate him for the importance of listening, when a sound like an explosion echoed throughout the Valley of Imladris.

The terrace, that had been the location for Elrond's council was suddenly assaulted with blinding, bright light that had everyone turn their heads away and close their eyes to block out the assault.

When the sudden powerful flash of light slowly died down, those at the terrace could only stare in disbelief at the tall, gangly man with spiky silver hair and wearing a tattered navy-blue jacket and a green Jounin vest suspended in the air.

But the two ninja present gasped for a totally different reason. The man suspended in the air was someone they had known since graduating from the Ninja Academy, and seeing him unconscious and bleeding had them fearing for his life.

'' KAKASHI- SENSEI!'' Naruto exclaimed as he nimbly flipped back onto his feet and hurried forward to catch the silver haired man, who started plummeting to the ground as the rest of the light holding him airborne disappeared.

The blond haired young man grunted slightly as he caught the slightly taller and heavier copy- ninja in his outstretched arms, and lowered him down on the ground with his own knee supporting Kakashi's head.

He then quickly put two fingers against the side of his sensei's neck to feel for a pulse.

'' He is breathing, though shallowly Sakura.'' he almost immediately told his fiance, whom quickly hurried over with fear in her eyes.

Sakura dropped to her knees and inspected the small hole on Kakashi's neck. '' Shimatta (damn it)!'' she cursed. '' I have to cut off some of the mask to access the wound better.''

She pulled her knife out from its holster and started to carefully cut off some off their sensei's trademark blue mask

'' There is something stuck in that throat wound! '' Sakura muttered with worry as she wiped away the sticky blood dripping out from the wound.

'' He needs to be taken to surgery. '' she added to Lord Elrond, whom had joined them on the ground rather quickly after his healer's instincts had kicked in.

Elrond inspected the wound himself, and nodded. '' It is a miracle that whatever is stuck to the wound hadn't struck a major blood-vessel or worse, the larynx or he would have already died of suffocation.'' he muttered as he put two fingers against the other side of Kakashi's neck.'' Still, he is pale from blood- loss and his pulse is low.''

'' So is his chakra.'' Sakura whispered as she lowered her hand over her sensei's heart. She concentrated, and channeled some of her chakra to Kakashi's chakra system.

The Copy-ninja's eyes fluttered slightly, but he showed no other signs of stirring.

'' Naruto, will you carry him?'' Elrond asked as he turned to the blond haired ninja.

The blond ninja nodded seriously and moved closer to pick up his injured sensei.

Elrond and Sakura adjusted the silver haired man into a position in Naruto's arms where his head didn't dangle limply and worsen the wound on his throat.

When the three individuals hurried off with Kakashi in tow, the council members that were left behind in the terrace began whispering amongst each other.

Almost all of them were wondering who was the strange masked man that had appeared from the sky so suddenly.

But those who knew about the two ninjas lives in more detail, were standing there on the terrace completely stunned over seeing Naruto's and Sakura's sensei in such a bad condition.

The four hobbits were still staring at the spot where the copy- ninja had lain motionless on his back, with blood pooling on the ground from the small but deep wound on the side of his neck.

'' You think he is going to be alright?'' Pippin whispered to Frodo, Merry and Sam; his voice was shaking slightly.

His friends could only shrug helplessly.

Frodo closed his eyes and turned away.

He had believed the situation couldn't have turned any worse after he had volunteered to go on the dangerous journey with the ten companions willing to put their own life at risk in order to destroy the ring of Sauron.

But now Naruto's and Sakura's sensei had appeared in Middle Earth badly injured, and they had no idea what was going to be his fate.

**End of Chapter 11 The Council of Elrond **


	12. Chapter 12The Fellowship leaves Rivendel

**Chapter 12 The Fellowship leaves Rivendell**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Shippuuden or The Lord of the Rings**

**Chapter summary: The Fellowship of the Ring is leaving Rivendell! What dangers will they run into during the journey towards the land of Mordor? **

**Find out in chapter 12!**

Some hours later after the Council had ended for those whom had participated, the hobbits (old and young) held a meeting of their own in the small, cozy room of Bilbo Baggins.

But though they talked over what they felt of the outcome of the council, their thoughts continuously wandered elsewhere.

Gandalf had entered the room some time ago to inform that Kakashi Hatake's surgery was still incomplete and that both Sakura and Naruto were overseeing the procedure. Sakura was lending a helping hand to Elrond who was doing the surgery, and Naruto was there to lend his chakra if needed.

'' I still can't believe you three were listening to the council uninvited.'' Frodo sighed wearily as he sat on one of Bilbo's comfortable chairs. '' And that you insisted on joining the Fellowship!''

'' We have come such a long way from the Shire and Buckland with you Frodo!'' Merry exclaimed.'' We've been through some very stiff times, but we have always gotten out of them in the end! And I have faith that it will happen on this quest as well!''

'' Yeah! '' Pippin added in agreement. '' We hobbits out to stick together no matter what! It would be a punishment to have come this far and be left behind!''

'' Its a worser punishment to go on this dangerous journey!'' Frodo cried out in exasperation.'' I had hoped that I could have rested here for some weeks and then return to the Shire with all five of my friends!''

'' Well, at least the six of us are together on this hopeless journey, Frodo!'' Pippin said with a vain smile, putting a comforting hand on the older hobbit's shoulder.

The dark haired hobbit uttered a resigned sigh before turning to his uncle.'' How long do you think we will stay here in Rivendell, Bilbo?''

Bilbo was about to answer, when Gandalf's voice was heard by the low window.

'' Elrond is sending out scouts tomorrow, so there is no need to start packing your belongings just yet.'' the wizard spoke in a serious tone.

'' Who are the scouts, Gandalf?'' Sam asked as he turned to the grey robed wizard.

'' Elves that will keep in touch with the Rangers, and maybe with Thranduil's folk in Mirkwood. We shall have to scour the lands all around here for many long leagues before any plans for travel is made.''

'' So we will just have to sit here and wait for the winter to come?'' Sam spoke with a gloomy look on his pudgy face.

'' Well, that's just something that can't be helped!'' Bilbo commented, shaking his head. '' Tough luck, Sam!''

'' Why are the scouts being sent out, anyway?'' Pippin asked curiously.

'' Use your head a little, Peregrin Took!'' Gandalf huffed, and was answered with a sour glance from the young hobbit. '' You haven't forgotten about the Black Riders, have you? We won't be setting off from Rivendell until their location is certain.''

'' But I thought the Riders were destroyed by that flood!'' Merry exclaimed with a confused expression on his face.

Gandalf shook his head. '' No flood, as powerful as it may be, can destroy the Black Riders, Merry.'' he answered. '' The power of their master is in them, and they stand or fall by him. Elrond and I hope that they were unhorsed and unmasked and so may be less dangerous for a while, but we must be certain!''

'' How long do you think it will take for us to know, Gandalf?'' Frodo asked, looking down at his hands.

'' I really can't be certain, Frodo!'' Gandalf answered, coming inside the room. '' For now, try to forget your troubles.''

'' Its a little difficult to forget what I have gotten myself into!'' Frodo said dryly. '' And I'm worried about the fate of Naruto's and Sakura's sensei( teacher). Ever since the two told me about him, I've been interested in meeting him in person. He seems very interesting from what Naruto and Sakura have told me. And... ''

The dark haired hobbit paused for a moment ''... I hope he is going to be alright.'' he finished quietly.

'' He is going to be just fine, Frodo!'' a joyful voice was heard echoing from the doorway of Bilbo's room.

Everyone in the small room turned to see Sakura standing by the door with Naruto standing beside her.

They were both looking slightly weary, but they were both sporting large smiles on their faces

'' So, Sir Kakashi is gonna recover?'' Frodo exclaimed, looking immensily less gloomy at hearing the happy news.

'' He is still unconcious, but his breathing is good.'' Sakura answered softly as she and Naruto walked further into the room.

She immediately slumped down on a soft chair near Bilbo that hadn't been vacated yet. The young woman's long pink hair was held up in a messy ponytail and her clothes had small blood- stains stuck to the fabric.

Naruto calmly sat down on the chair's arm- rest, but his fiance grabbed his jacket-sleeve and pulled him down to sit snuggly next to her.

This move forced a snigger out of Merry and Pippin.

'' Will he have any complications, Sakura?'' Gandalf asked from where he was standing against the wall.

'' Kakashi-sensei's voice is gonna stay hoarse for a while.'' Sakura answered as she snuggled even closer to Naruto's side. '' And the immense use of chakra will keep him in bed for at least three days, or as long as Elrond will insist on keeping him confined in that chamber.''

'' And he will not be able to walk without support for at least a whole week!'' Naruto added as he massaged the tightened muscles on his fiance's shoulders.

Sakura moaned quietly in pleasure at his touch.

'' Sounds a lot like what happened in that place called the Wave Country!'' Sam pointed out.

'' He used his Sharingan against Zabuza Momochi and got himself in that situation.'' Naruto answered with a small laugh. '' I remember just how scared I was to be facing a strong enemy ninja for the first time. It hadn't been that long since we graduated from the Ninja Academy.' the young man continued; his fingers were still massaging his fiance's shoulders.

'' And I was completely useless during the whole mission.'' Sakura muttered, her eyes twitching in irritation at herself . ''A ridiculous fangirl who's only goal at the time was to have Sasuke somehow notice me.''

'' Oooohhhh, Saaassuukeee- kuuuun!'' Naruto chirped suddenly, trying to sarcastically imitate the kunoichi's girly voice.

'' NARUTO!'' Sakura shrieked, hitting the blond man lightly on the chest in indignation.

The hobbits, and even Gandalf, were laughing lightly at the highly amusing scene.

'' Were you really like that once, Sakura?'' Pippin piped in. '' Ooohhh, Sasuke- kuuuunnn!'

His attempted imitation of Sakura's voice went a little worse than the blond shinobi's, when he stumbled on the pronunciation of Sasuke's name.

'' Pippin,'' the young woman hissed dangerously, cracking her knuckles a bit. '' You really aren't in a position to be making fun of me! I haven't forgotten what you did this morning!''

Pippin gulped slightly and stood up from his seat.

'' What did you do to make Sakura so angry, Pippin?'' Sam asked curiously.'' I heard her making a grand ruckus this morning!''

Naruto suddenly blushed an interesting shade of red and looked away. And a red tint was also beginning to form on Sakura's face.

'' I… I went to see if Naruto and Sakura were awake and found the two of them on the bed totally naked and on top of each other.'' Pippin squeaked out; he too was blushing terribly.

Gandalf and Bilbo, who had lit up their pipes to have a good smoke, almost choked on the said smoke.

Merry, Frodo and Sam looked like they were going to have a stroke as they were hit by the realization of what the young hobbit had actually witnessed their friends doing.

Naruto looked like he just wanted to sink into the the earth to avoid further humiliation and Sakura looked like she wanted to murder the rambling Took.

'' PIPPIN!'' the pink haired woman growled as she jumped out of her chair. She grabbed the unfortunate hobbit by the collar, before the poor thing could run out the door with his tail ( if he had one) between his legs.

Pippin cried out and squirmed as the kunoichi tackled him to the ground and started running her slim, quick fingers over the most ticklish parts of his ribs.

'' Aaaiiieehhh, that tickles, Sakura! Stop it!''the poor hobbit yelped out in between helpless laughter.

'' Nuh uh, this is your punishment for coming into our room uninvited this morning!'' Sakura answered, smirking rather evilly at Pippin.

'' Merry! Sam! Frodo! HELP ME!'' Pippin squawked out breathlessly.

But instead of helping, the three hobbits joined the kunoichi in tickling the poor, squirming Took.

Naruto calmly slid down on the soft armchair his fiance had vacated. He was content enough to just sit on his chair and laugh at the tickling- torture Pippin was going through in the hands of Sakura, Frodo, Merry and Sam.

Gandalf and Bilbo were watching the scene play out with smiles upon their faces.

Kakashi slowly blinked open his right eye, but closed it tightly shut when the light from the window shined into it. Nausea like no other he had ever felt before attacked him with the force of a charging bull.

The Copy-Ninja groaned weakly and tried to struggle into a position where he could vomit without choking. And it felt like he was just about to do so, if the roiling in his stomach and the welling up in his throat was any indication.

Unfortunately, his whole body felt like it was paralyzed; he couldn't move either of his arms or legs and his neck was stiff. A gasp of discomfort escaped from his lips as he felt the vomit rising up and burning at his throat.

He gagged, but managed to force the nausea back by swallowing.

Then, he finally heard footsteps approaching and then a clear, deep voice could be saying something to someone in a language he couldn't understand.

He could feel hands grabbing his shoulder, side and hip as he was gently pulled to lay on his right side and the mask over his face was pushed down.

Instinctively, he allowed himself to eject the whatever mess he had in his stomach.

He moaned again when the movement of vomiting had his already aching head split with pain worse than before.

The ninja blinked as his ears picked up the sound of more footsteps coming into the room. He winced involuntarily when he felt a cool hand lowered on his sweaty forehead, but relaxed when the flare of chakra coming from the person soothed the pain in his head.

'' _Wait… chakra? And why does it feel so familiar?''_

Kakashi's mismatched eyes flew open in a flash, but it was a mistake. The light that shined from the window that had no glass was almost blinding, and the drain of his chakra was almost immediate the moment he opened his Sharingan eye.

Cursing weakly, the silver haired man closed his left eye and squinted to clear the vision in his right.

When he was finally able to clear his swimming vision, the image of a tall, pretty pink haired woman with jade- green eyes stood before him; and a young man with bright blond hair, whisker marks on his cheeks and stunningly bright blue eyes standing next to the woman with his arm slung over her shoulders.

'' _Wait just a moment… pink hair? Whisker marks?''_

Kakashi gasped as recognision struck him hard; there was no one else he knew with such vibrant pink hair or had whisker marks on his cheeks.

'' S-Saku-ra?'' he croaked tentively through dry lips. It was an effort to even speak, much less move.'' N-Na-ruto?''

'' Hey there, Kakashi- sensei.'' Naruto said quietly as he unslung his arm from Sakura's shoulders. He sat down on the edge of the bed and took the small goblet of water from the bedside- table.

The blond ninja then pushed down his sensei's mask slightly and supported the older man's upper body off the bed as he drank from the straw. '' It really is us; though a few years older than when you last saw us!''

'' W-what?'' Kakashi gasped, coughing slightly as water went up his throat. He was noticeably stunned, even through the mask. '' H-how is it p-possible that i-its been so long… for you…a-and only six months… to th-those in… Konoha?''

'' I would say its been that long for us, because the seasons here don't turn at the same speed as in our real dimension!'' Sakura said softly as she helped her fiance lower their sensei back down onto the bed before sitting down next to Naruto. '' How are you feeling right now? We had to take you into surgery!''

'' Tired and nauseus. My head feels like it is about to split open.'' Kakashi croaked out weakly. '' And it feels like someone had stuck a senbon-needle in my throat!''

'' Not a senbon-needle,'' Sakura spoke with a shake of her head,. '' but a nail! What the hell happened in our dimension?''

Kakashi knew he needed to tell his students what had happened, but his eye was closing on it's own accord. He felt weariness taking hold of him.

'' An Akatsuki member… Pein… attacked Konoha. I faught him… with Choza Akimichi and… Chouji. '' he rasped out. '' Choza was killed. I… told Chouji to… leave and tell… the Hokage… about Pein's powers. Pein then tried to… kill Chouji by… sending off a rocket from his arm… but I stopped its path… with the… Mangekyo sharingan… and sent it to… another dimension. I thought it was… over for me… because using the Sharingan… would suck out the last of my… chakra and stamina.''

'' But how is it that you didn't die, Kakashi-sensei?'' Sakura gasped out, looking completely stunned over his words.

'' Tora Akame appeared… before me and Pein,'' Kakashi muttered.'' I don't know how he… did it… but he sucked out some of… Pein's chakra and stamina… into his own body… and then transferred it… to my body.''

'' Then what happened? '' Naruto spoke in a shell-shocked tone of voice.'' How did you come to be here in Middle- Earth?''

'' Pein… transferred his ghost like form… into mine,'' Kakashi answered, coughing again slightly.'' And used my… Mangekyo sharingan again… to open a portal to Middle-Earth. But that's the last thing I was aware… of before loosing conciousness…''

His voice became fainter and fainter, as he started loosing battle against the weariness pressing on him like a thick, smothering blanket.

Sakura and Naruto watched in silence, as their sensei succumbed to unconciousness. The both of them were still trying to make sense of Kakashi's tale.

'' Its always the damn fox, isn't it?'' Naruto growled out between clenched teeth; his hands were balled into fists on his lap. '' Damn that Pein to hell for attacking Konoha! And kami, I can't believe Chouji's father is dead!''

Sakura suddenly buried her face in in the blond ninja's chest. Naruto gently put his hands around his fiance's waist and pulled her closer.

'' Oh, god, Chouji's mother will be devastated, and Chouji too for sure'' She whispered, and looked down at the ground.'' When such terrible circumstances happen, it has a way to make people start worrying over their family, relatives and friends.''

'' You are worried about your family,'' Naruto stated gently, wiping away the tears brimming up in his girlfriend's eyes.

'' You know, Naruto, I was never that close to my mom since I turned nine years old, '' Sakura choked out as she raised her head up to look her fiance in the eyes. '' She never wanted me to become a ninja and so she tried to reason with me to drop the school from the day I registered my name. She wanted me to become a librarian like she is…''

The young woman paused for a moment.

'' But my dad, he has always seen me as his little princess. He was always so supportive of me, and that never changed when my baby sister was born. Even with the new baby in the house, he found time to spend with just me and him.''

She paused again, and then asked: '' Nevertheless I still see her as my mother, and I worry for her every day. But if I had to answer someone who had asked what I would do differently as a mother, I would say that I'd let my children follow their dreams and not stand in the way like my own mother did to me!''

Naruto smiled warmly and nuzzled at his fiance's neck gently. Although he had never received anything but hate and distrust from Sakura's parents because of the Kyuubi, he knew that there was something he could learn from them; mainly on how to treat his own children when that time came.

'' You know, I'd like to become the kind of father that your father is! '' the young man said softly.

Sakura raised her head in surprise and looked up into her fiance's bright blue eyes.'' You know you have never been given anything but scorn from my family members.'' she muttered.'' so why are you giving my father such high praise?''

Naruto smiled down at the young kunoichi.'' Because of the way he treats both his children; in other words, he doesn't put one child above the other, but gives them equal attention.''

He paused for a moment and then added:'' that's the kind of father I'd hope to become one day.''

Sakura uttered a soft giggle that was muffled against Naruto's chest. Tears brimmed into her eyes, but she was smiling.

'' You want to be a father?'' she whispered quietly into his ear.

'' I would love to be a father!'' Naruto answered with his wide trademark grin.

Sakura yelped slightly as the blond ninja gently nipped at her earlobe.

'' I've seen you with the children in the Shire.'' she whispered, closing her eyes in pleasure as she felt her fiance trail kisses on the skin of her neck; just under her earlobe . '' You are very caring, Naruto, but you know when to act stern towards them. You will make a great father to our children!''

Naruto gasped with surprise and paused in his act. '' Sakura…?''

'' If we survive the journey to Mordor,'' the pink haired kunoichi whispered, '' and if Frodo succeeds in destroying the ring, we can start thinking about raising a family together. That is… if you want to try.''

'' Sakura,'' Naruto answered, kissing the young woman softly on the lips,'' I do want a family of my own. But there is always the guestion wether we can raise a family here in Middle Earth; I mean, we are still Konohagakure Ninja after all!''

''I am sure we can work things out somehow in the future, Naruto, but we will talk about this matter later, after the journey.'' the pink haired woman answered gently, and then gasped slightly as the blond shinobi picked her up from where she was sitting on Kakashi's bed and carried her towards the door to exit the chamber.

'' After the journey…'' Naruto agreed, carrying her through the corridors to their room.'

Neither of the two ninja didn't seem to notice the quiet figure standing just outside the door. A smiling Lord Elrond pushed away from the dark wall and returned to the chamber to keep an eye on the sleeping copy-ninja; he had overheard their conversation about fathers, mothers and children.

The sound of metal banging against metal echoed from the training grounds of Rivendell.

Those who walked past the grounds or where currently watching the kenjutsu- spar, saw that it was something unusual and not often seen in Imladris; a tall, slim woman was facing and opponent much shorter but muscular with a beard and moustage.

Gloin's son, Gimli, had been teaching Sakura to use a battle ax for the past several weeks. And with strength like her's, it hadn't been that strange to imagine the pink haired woman with such a bulky, heavy weapon.

Naruto watched from the sidelines with Frodo, Merry, Sam, Pippin, Strider, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir and of course their masked sensei, Kakashi whom was resting his back against a tree after a big spar with Aragorn.

The masked man had won, despite having promised the Ranger that he wouldn't use his chakra or his Sharingan in the spar.

But the spar had still taken some time to end in favor of the ninja, for the Ranger showed some awesome tricks and skills with the sword that he had learned over the years from the elves of Imladris.

He also carried great stamina and agility that could only have been honed by years of practising with the immortal beings; and it showed, when Aragorn used the familiar terrain to keep the Copy-ninja on guard time and time again.

Even when Kakashi had used Taijutsu in- between the Kenjutsu- spar, Isildur's heir had countered with his own version of unarmed combat which he had learned from the elves. It was a tad bit similar to the style of combat used by the Copy-ninja.

The Ranger had also further confirmed, much to Naruto's, Sakura's and Kakashi's surprise, the pink haired kunoichi's belief that he could strengthen his attacks and his grip on his weapon with Chakra control.

And the reason for it was no longer a secret either (courtesy of Lord Elrond); every elf in Imladris, young and old, had some form of control over their chakra that they'd developed over centuries thanks to the teachings of Tora Akame whom had started it all.

Naruto and Sakura had nearly cracked a rib when they had burst out laughing at their sensei's words of:'' What does it take to bring down this Ranger anyway?''

Aragorn had just kept getting up until he was finally brought down to his knees.

Another extremely funny incident had happened, when their Sensei had started tree-walking and water-walking two weeks previously once he had recovered from the chakra exhaustion and his wounds.

The whole Fellowship had gotten a good laugh, when Kakashi had fallen on his butt when he tried tree-walking for the first time since coming to Middle- Earth. And then he had fallen in the freezing river when he had tried water- walking.

Needless to say, the Copy- ninja had exited the river very quickly

Nevertheless, Kakashi had succeeded in doing both tree- and water walking after ten days had passed; he wasn't a genius for nothing.

But it hadn't stopped Naruto and Sakura seeing their Sensei's struggles to control his chakra like they had in the beginning as a small sort of celebration.

But at the moment both the Copy-ninja and Ranger sat on the ground with their swords resting on the grassy ground before them in scabbards, watching Sakura spar with Gloin's son.

Being there on the training fields together was some sort of team bonding for them all, since they would be travelling together for weeks on end.

They needed to get aquinted with each others strengths and weaknesses to fully be a Fellowship.

And it had also been the time to tie new friendships; Naruto and Sakura had discovered that Boromir of Gondor was actually a nice person when you got to know him. And Boromir in turn, had discovered that the two ninja were very good people and fun to have around.

The very big problem they had found in the hobbits, when Aragorn, Gandalf, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli had first started training them, was that they had no real experience in real war, except the one time on Weathertop.

Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin needed a lot of work in becoming even remotely good warriors.

But they were gradually getting better in combat with their knives, and their kunai throwing skills were almost perfect.

The look on Kakashi's masked face when Sam had scored a bull's- eye with all five kunai was something Naruto and Sakura would never forget.

'' She is getting good, isn't she, Gimli?'' Naruto called out from the sidelines as his girlfriend and the dwarf circled each other for a while, looking for weaknesses in their opponent's defence.

'' Believe me, Naruto, my sore arms are a testament of how good she has become!'' Gimli hollered just as he went for a hard, vicious blow aimed towards his opponent's axe.

The hobbits watching gasped as the young dwarf went for the offence, but sighed in relief as the kunoichi quickly adjusted her grip and stance to take the offensive blow. The weapons locked together neatly for a moment before the two pulled away and jumped several feet backwards.

Then the kunoichi suddenly went for the offence with clean, bone jarring blows that had Gimli involluntarily backing away.

Sakura thought she heard the hobbits gasp out but was too thrilled by the spar to pay much attention to what was happening in the sidelines.

As for Gimli, the dwarf was getting frustrated at himself; he knew that the young woman was channeling small amounts of chakra into her attacks. He involluntarily groaned as another bone-jarring blow connected with his axe.

'' Gah… channeling chakra into those blows, aren't you, lassie?'' he puffed out. '' You are getting very skilled… at maintaining proper battle stances when using the axe. Also your blocking and offence have improved.''

'' I have to thank you for that, Gimli!'' Sakura exclaimed with a grin.

'' But you still lack experience!'' the dwarf hollered as he locked the two weapons together in a sudden move.

Sakura's jade-green eyes widened as Gimli let his hands slide fast across the long handle of his axe as he moved in to deliver an incredibly heavy blow to her lower stomach. And all this happened while he a still kept their weapons firmly entwined.

She uttered a pained grunt and coughed a small amount of blood as the air was knocked out of her chest.

In her moment of weakness, Gimli completely pried the axe out of her hands and the next move had Sakura pinned to the ground by a powerful tackle. She quickly found herself pinned under the dwarf's entire body-weight.

Humiliated at being sent to the ground so easily, Sakura tried to wriggle out from under the dwarf, but Gimli pressed her arms to the ground with his feet and delivered a light, and yet punishing punch against the kunoichi's solar plexus. This, in turn, made the young woman loose her breath for the second time.

Sakura heaved in air and glared up at the dwarf whom was smirking at her under his bushy beard as he sat more heavily on top of the woman's stomach.

Her ears were ringing with the sound of the hobbits laughing good naturally at her humiliation and she thought she heard her sensei give a chuckle from where he was sitting by the tree.

'' Its over!'' Gimli pointed out, pressing the edge of his axe lightly against Sakura's neck.

''Sure, sure.'' Sakura muttered out, wincing at the sound of her own voice. She still sounded out of breath. '' Just get off of me, Gimli!''

She was still glaring at him.

'' Never think you have won before the spar is over, lassie!'' Gimli continued, grinning widely down at the young woman, seemingly unfazed by her glare.

The dwarf then pulled the axe away from the kunoichi's neck and used it to pull himself to his feet.

The hobbits were still laughing as Gimli stooped and held a hand out to Sakura.

The young kunoichi grasped the dwarf's hand and was pulled to her feet. Her expression finally softened when Gimli playfully slapped her on the shoulder and congratulated her for the good performance.

Naruto grinned as he walked over to where his new friend and his fiance were standing in the middle of the field. He congratulated Gimli for his win and slapped him friendlily on the shoulder.

'' Good job, Sakura!'' he then said, turning to face his fiance with a large grin on his face.'' That was better than last time!''

Sakura's eye twitched slightly at Naruto's impish tone. '' Gimli and I made a promise before the spar, that I wouldn't use too much of my chakra when using the axe, otherwise my strength would have overpowered him.''

'' You still lost your concentration there, lassie,'' Gimli pointed out, looking ruffled.'' Besides, I'm getting stronger, too, if you haven't noticed!''

'' Oh, I've noticed alright.'' Sakura muttered, rolling her eyes. '' Thanks to the pain in my stomach and solar plexus, Gimli!''

'' Who was the one insistent on teaching me Tai… taie… taju…?'' Gimli muttered.

'' Its Taijutsu, Gimli!'' Naruto laughed out, amused at the dwarf's stumbling.

'' Well, at least I'm doing a lot better with my axe,'' Sakura muttered as she glowered at the two of them,'' than Naruto is doing with the bow and arrow!''

'' Why do you have to get me involved in your bickering, Sakura?'' the said ninja exclaimed, looking aghast.

'' She must be in a foul mood after loosing to Gimli, Naruto!'' an amused Boromir hollered from where he was standing near Gandalf. '' Think nothing of it!''

'' But I have to admit it was quite funny, when Naruto's first attempt at using the bow ended up with Glorfindel being nailed in the behind by a stray arrow!'' Strider spoke up with a chuckle.

'' NOT YOU TOO! Why must you remind me of that humiliation, Strider?'' Naruto cried out at the tall Ranger as the others in the sidelines started laughing; mainly the hobbits.

Gandalf, Legolas and Kakashi just smiled. Boromir, Gimli, Sakura and Strider were chuckling, though.

'' We should have someone warn everyone in Rivendell whenever you practise with the bow, Naruto.'' Boromir joked out good naturally. '' So that we can avoid anymore sore butts around here!''

'' YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR OWN BUTT PIERCED, EH, BOROMIR ? '' Naruto roared at the tall Gondorian man, as Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin almost cracked their ribs from laughing so hard. '' For I'd be glad to do so! And while were at this topic, would you actually be any better with the bow and arrow?''

'' Actually… no!'' Boromir answered with a laugh; he was being surprisingly honest. '' Its my little brother, Faramir, who is more of a bowman type. He is an Ithilien Ranger and a strategist. I'm more adept with the sword and being the captain.''

Naruto noticed, that the man's voice had grown very fond, when he talked about his little brother. '' Well in that case,'' he muttered, still put-out as he crossed his arms around his chest. '' I wouldn't be surprised if you hit someone in the butt with an arrow.''

'' Actually, he has, Naruto!'' Gandalf pointed out dryly between puffing out smoke; he had began smoking at his long pipe a short while ago.

'' What? When did he do that, Gandalf, and to whom? '' the blond haired young man exclaimed, as a smile came to his face.

'' A long time ago in Gondor,'' the old wizard spoke with an amused expression on his face.'' Faramir was trying to teach his brother how to use a bow, but it went awry. It was their father, Denethor, who ended up with an arrow stuck to his behind.''

This time it was the Kyuubi-vessel's turn to break out into gleeful laughter as Boromir's expression turned embarrased and a blush appeared on his cheeks.

'' My father was pretty angry at me for that incident,'' the older man muttered under his breath. '' I was grounded and forced to do all kinds of chores in the palace like dish- washing and laundry for the next two weeks. Something that all fourteen year old boys hate doing! It was when I was doing laundry that I swore to myself to never touch a bow again!''

'' This talk is interesting and all, but its time for Naruto's bow-practice.'' Legolas spoke up abruptly from the sturdy tree- branch he had been listening and watching the entire time.

Naruto's amused expression turned to one of despair.'' Oh, Kami!'' he groaned out.

Sakura laughed and patted him comfortingly on the shoulder before kissing him on the cheek.'' You'll do fine, Naruto!'' she said softly.

'' As long as he doesn't do another Sennen Goroshi ( The thousand years of pain)!'' Kakashi spoke up lazily from where he was sitting on the grass.

'' I DID NOT HIT GLORFINDEL THERE, SENSEI!'' the blond shinobi roared out as he caught the bow and arrow-holster that Legolas threw in his direction. He cringed as he heard the hobbits now laughing at him.'' _Honestly, the damn Copy-ninja is the one who deserves to have a sore butt! One of these days I'm going to get him back for that ass-poke he did to me during that Bell-test!''_ he thought inwardly as he turned to walk towards the part of the training fields, where the elves had set out a target for him and everyone else whom needed target- practise.

Legolas sported an amused smile on his face as he nimbly jumped off the tree to follow after the blond Kyuubi vessel; no way was he going to admit that he, now the best archer in Mirkwood, had accidently hit his father, Thranduil, in the butt with an arrow when he was only a thirty year old elfling ( eight years old in human years).

His father's raised ire had been absolutely frightening,and so had been his punishment which involved the same kind of chores Boromir had mentioned earlier.

Days past, and yet the hobbits, Sakura and Naruto still occasionally talked and thought about the past journey and pondered about the perils that lay ahead of them the moment they step out of the borders of Rivendell.

But the virtue of the Last Homely House soon had all fear and anxiety lift off their hearts and mind. But the pain of loosing an important person wasn't as easily forgotten as the fear and anxiety of the coming journey.

Naruto's expression had become completely blank after Kakashi ( whom was resting on his bed) had finished telling him about Jiraiya's death in the hands of the Akatsuki member, Pein. He had slowly turned his back on his Sensei and his fiance whom was sitting on a chair next to Kakashi's bed.

He hadn't wanted them to see that he was struggling against the tears threatening to slide down his cheeks.

'' I'm sorry… Sakura… and Kakashi sensei… but I… have to go!'' he had whispered rather hoarsely, and walked stiffly towards the door that led out of the Copy-ninja's bedroom.

Still, it was only Sakura whom witnessed the crying and tears that her fiance allowed to let out during that same night as the two lovers had layed on the bed wrapped in each others arms.

It may have seemed to those watching in Konoha, that Naruto and Jiraiya the Toad Sannin didn't get on well together, the truth was a complete opposite. The Kyuubi-vessel had trusted the Sannin enough to have shown him the side of him that he had let no one else seen; the not always smiling, happy side of him.

And poor Sakura, whom had had the unfortunate fate of being there when Kakashi had told her fiance of Jiraiya's death, could never forget the blank staring eyes of Naruto whom had just been told of the death of someone important to him.

But as several more days had went by, Naruto had began looking into the future. The pain was still there, never to fully disappear, but he understood that it wasn't in his best interest to look back at something he could never change.

All he could do now, was to count the days to the day that he and the rest of the Fellowship would leave the Last Homely house whilst taking pleasure in every great meal… every song they heard… and every word of wisdom.

November had came and gone with the last shreds of autumn. December was passing, though it couldn't be seen as a long, cold time with all the warmth and laughter of the hobbits playing around in the soft, powdered white snow every day with Naruto and Sakura joining them for the fun.

Even Kakashi Hatake seemed to enjoy the crisp, cold days as he walked amongst the forest of pine- trees in Rivendell early in the mornings, before coming to see the hobbits playing around. He even ended up in a snowball fight sometimes when the hobbits decided that the stoic ninja needed some fun, too.

And much to Naruto's and Sakura's delight, the Copy-ninja had enjoyed being included in the snow activities.

One day, when the hobbits, Sakura, Kakashi and Naruto (who had just returned with Legolas to Rivendell from a visit to Mirkwood a few days ago) were taking a walk together, they saw several of the scouts sent out from Rivendell, returning.

The Kyuubi vessel had wanted to visit Mirkwood for the thrill of seeing the halls of King Thranduil and to meet the King himself. Sakura had opted to stay in Rivendell with the hobbits, but had pressed Naruto to heed Legolas's advice in keeping his tongue in check and to act politely within the presence of the prince's father.

As the blond haired ninja had looked around the magnificent Halls of Mirkwood, he had wondered how often Bilbo, whom had been the only one of his traveling company not captured under the Mirkwood King's orders, had wandered around these corridors seeking food and beverages to keep himself healthy; and all the while remaining unheard and unseen by the elves.

Some of them had gone North, beyond the the springs of Hoarwell and into the Ettenmoors, and others had gone west where they were helped by the Rangers. Together, the scouts and Rangers had searched the lands far down the Greyfeld, and Tharbad, where the old North Road crossed the River by a ruined town.

Many of the scouters that returned two days later had travelled east and south, and the rest that returned a day later had crossed the mountains and entered Mirkwood or had climbed the pass at the source of the Gladden River before climbing down into Wilderland. They had then continued over the Gladden Fields before reaching a land called the Rhosgobel where Radagast the brown lived.

Elrond's sons, Elladan and Elrohir, were the last to return after a long journey that had included crossing silverlode and into strange country. But they wouldn't speak of their errand to anyone save the lord of Imladris.

But what was told to the members of the Fellowship of the ring whom were anxious to hear any news from the scouters, was that none of the assigned folk, be it elf, man or even the Great Eagles of the Misty Mountains, had discovered any signs of the Black Riders, Gollum, or other servants of the enemy.

Three of the Black Riders horses had been found in the first few days of the searches. They had drowned in the flood and their carcasses had seen found splayed amongst the rocks in the banks of Bruinen. And on the rocks of the rapids below the searchers had found the bodies of five more horses and a long black cloak slashed and tattered.

Yet there was no trace of the Black Riders themselves. It was like they had vanished from the north.

'' Well, eight of the Black Rider's horses are accounted for!'' Gandalf calmly said to the group that had gathered in Elrond's office. '' Lord Elrond and I believe that the Riders have scattered and are trying to return to their master in Mordor the best they could. As empty and shapeless as they may be for the moment. And if that's so, then it will be sometime before they can hunt again. Of course the enemy has other servants, but they will have to journey all the way to the borders of Rivendell before they can pick up our trail.

'' But if we are very careful to not leave that much of a trail, then it will be hard for them to find us!'' Naruto spoke up from where he was sitting on one of the plush armchairs scattered around the room.

Elrond nodded grimly at the blond shinobi's words. '' Indeed,'' he spoke up,'' but the time is still running short. If the ring is to set out, it must go soon!''

As he said this, his stormy grey looked from one member of the Fellowship to the next.'' But those who go with him must not count on their errand being aided by war or force. They must go into the domain of the enemy far from aid. Do you still hold to your word, Frodo, that you will be the Ring- Bearer?''

'' I do!'' Frodo answered firmly from where he was seated on a chair next to Gandalf.'' I will hold to my promise!''

'' What about you, Gandalf?'' Elrond asked, turning to the wizard.

'' I will go with Frodo!' the Istari said to his friend, putting a hand on the hobbit's shoulder.

Elrond then spoke to the rest of the Fellowship; he asked what their thoughts were on leaving the Last Homely House with Frodo and was answered with an adamant yes from each person.

'' Well,'' Elrond sighed, a little unhappily,'' as much as I'd have liked to keep Peregrin and Meriádoc from going with you and send them back to the Shire, I know that it would be futile to even suggest such a thing. But really, you do not understand and cannot imagine what lies ahead of you young ones.''

'' Neither does Frodo, or Naruto and Sakura for that matter.'' Gandalf suddenly and unexpectedly spoke up in defence of Merry and Pippin. '' Nor do any of us see clearly. But believe me, I've watched them both since the end of the council and have witnessed their growth in both heart and hand, and it is due to their strong friendship with Frodo, so you should have more faith in them.''

'' I'm afraid the Shire won't be spared from the peril.'' Elrond spoke gravely. '' I had in mind to send Peregrin and Meriadoc to the Shire as messengers; to tell the people of the danger.''

But as he looked into the eyes of the two youngest hobbits, he saw the defined stubbornness and will to help their friend on his difficult quest

'' I still don't like the idea of the two hobbits going,'' the Elf Lord sighed out,'' but I might as well say nothing more on the matter…''

He paused for a moment then gave a small smile. '' But there is something that will remedy some of the worry I feel towards the safety of the hobbits. I shall add one more member to your fellowship that will leave in seven days from today; a person who came to ask me permission to go along with the eleven members already assigned.''

''And, who is it?'' Sakura asked with interest visible in her voice and face.

'' The twelfth member of your Fellowship is me!'' Kakashi spoke up lazily from the far corner of the room where he had been reading one of the history books he had taken from Elrond's library.

'' What? You will be going on the journey with us, sir Kakashi?'' Frodo exclaimed with wonder in his voice.

'' Drop the sir, Frodo.'' Kakashi spoke; he was smiling behind his mask. '' And yes, I will be going with you to the land of Mordor.''

'' Just don't be late on the day of departure, Kakashi- sensei!'' Sakura spoke dryly, but she was visibly happy about not needing to part ways with their sensei they had reunited just two months ago.'' Or you will find yourself hearing…''

'' YOU ARE LATE!'' Pippin, Merry and Naruto bellowed out at the same time, much to the amusement of the others inside Elrond's office.

'' Right, right!'' Kakashi mumbled as the voices of Pippin, Merry, Naruto, Frodo, and Sakura dissolved into rings of boisterous laughter. '' Very funny, the five of you!''

'' They do have a point, you know!'' Boromir chuckled from where he was seated next to the grumbling Copy- ninja.'' You are always… LATE FOR THE FELLOWSHIP MEETINGS!''

'' Boromir!'' Kakashi spoke with a warning tone in his voice as he rubbed his left ear; the Gondorian man had shouted in his ear. '' That was certainly not funny!''

'' It might… hah hah hah… have been… hahahah… worse… !'' Naruto choked out as he gasped for breath from all the laughing; the look on his sensei's face when Boromir had shouted in his ear had been hilarious.'' He could… hahahaah… have blown that war- horn… hehhaaahah… next to your ear!''

'' If he does that,'' Kakashi muttered as the room exploded with a new round of laughter; this time from Sam, Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas as well.'' He is going to have a very hurt behind for sure!''

Boromir jumped to his feet quickly, and moved across the room to sit next to Sakura and Naruto on the couch.'' I'll jam my sword in your behind if you dare to use the finger -poke on me Kakashi Hatake!'' he exclaimed to the masked ninja, much to everyone's hilarity.

'' Is that a threat, Boromir?'' Kakashi spoke with a lazy voice as he leaned back in his chair.

'' If you wish to see it like that, then yes!'' Boromir answered, a smirk appearing on his bearded face.

'' Oh, great, I guess were seeing another Legolas and Gimli in this room!'' Gandalf pointed out with an amused laugh. His amusement never faltered as he was given four perturbed glances from the four mentioned people.'' I hope we can escape this mayhem once we leave the borders of Rivendell, though; and I really mean it, mind you! No foolish bickering, alright?''

The answers he received were a bunch of muttered '' yes's.

The days that past seemed long for those waiting for the day they would finally depart for the long journey ahead of them.

Aragorn and Gandalf often walked together or sat planning the trails they would take and the perils they would meet. They looked over books of lore and maps in the library that was inside the House of Elrond.

Occasionally, Frodo, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi joined them inside the library, but Frodo was content with their guidance and spent most of the remaining with his beloved uncle.

This of course left just the three ninja eager enough to sit through the long hours with the wizard and the heir of Isildur; though Naruto was always the first one to leave the room as he got bored of sitting in one place for too long.

In the evenings, the hobbits, Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi sat together in the Hall of Fire, listening to the many tales told ( for example the whole tale of Beren and Luthien and their winning of the Great Jewel).

Or whenever they happened to not be present at the Hall of Fire, they lounged in Bilbo's room as the old hobbit took notes of the journey from the Shire to Imladris or sat listening as the aged hobbit read them bits of his verses.

On the day before the Fellowship of the Ring was to leave Imladris, Bilbo and Frodo stood inside the old hobbit's room on either side of the small table; the old hobbit wanted to give his nephew a gift for his journey.

The younger hobbit was watching with interest, as his uncle pulled out an old wooden box with intriquing pictures from under the bed and set it down on the small table before his nephew.

'' The gift I'm going to give you, Frodo, will be very useful on your long journey!'' Bilbo said, opening the lid. He paused for a moment and then rummaged inside the box and pulled out the remains of the sword Strider had given to Frodo on Weathertop. '' See this? Your sword was broken on Weathertop when a Black Rider stepped on it if you remember…''

The dark haired hobbit nodded his head slightly as the older hobbit lowered the broken sword back in the small box.

'' I took your sword for safekeeping, but forgot to ask the smiths to repair it and there is no time for that now.''

Bilbo then fumbled around the box for a moment before holding up an old, shabby leather scabbard. '' So I thought that perhaps you'd take my old sword, Sting!''

Frodo smiled as his uncle drew out the well polished and tended blade. It glittered cold, bright and sharp as the old hobbit thrust it effortlessly deep into a wooden beam.

'' Its so light,'' the younger Baggins spoke with wonder in his voice as he accepted the handed weapon gratefully. He tried the weapon out by thrusting it at the same wooden beam as his uncle,'' And so remarkably balanced!''

''Yes, made by the elves you know!'' Bilbo pointed out with a smile. '' The blade glows blue when orcs are nearby; and at those times my lad, you need to be extra careful!''

Frodo nodded at Bilbo's words, took the scabbard off the table and slid the sword in it.

'' Frodo!'' Bilbo spoke up as he reached inside the box again. He brought out a parcel that seemed to be rather heavy for its size and started unwinding the clothes wrapped around it. When all the cloth was removed, a small mail-shirt was revealed.

Amazed, Frodo held out his hand to touch the close-woven rings of metal; it was supple as linen and harder than steel and it shined like silver moonlight. He also noticed the small, white gems woven into the mail and the belt of pearl and crystal.

'' A pretty little thing, isn't it?'' Bilbo asked, seeing his nephew's awed expression.'' And its not just pretty; its light as a feather and as hard as a dragon's scales.

'' Is it the same mail that Thorin Oakenshield gave you?'' Frodo asked as he moved the mail-shirt to the light to look at more carefully.

'' Yes it is, boy.'' Bilbo answered with a nod. '' I passed through Michel Delving to retrieve this and my other mementoes on my way to Rivendell. I'd like you to have it!''

'' I would take it Bilbo, if it were more of my style. '' the younger Baggins answered hesitantly.'' But I really don't think it would look good on me.''

'' That's what I thought when Thorin gave it to me!'' his uncle spoke with a laugh. '' But don't worry about looks; you can wear it under your outer-clothes. Come on Frodo, let me see you put it on!''

Frodo reached for the buttons on his shirt and began unwinding them; but after only a few buttons, the ring that had been put in a thin but sturdy silver chain, flopped into Bilbo's view.

'' Mmm…'' the old hobbit exclaimed quietly, staring at the small ring with a strange look on his face. '' I should… very much like to hold it again..''

Frodo backed away from his uncle slightly.

'' … one last time!'' Bilbo finished, taking a few steps closer to his nephew, who suddenly looked more tense.

The dark haired hobbit reached for his collar and started closing the buttons, when his uncle suddenly and without warning lunged forward to grab the ring from his nephew's neck.

Frodo immediately backed away with a look of distress and disbelief shown in his eyes; his right hand was closed tightly around the ring.

A shadow seemed to have come before him and the familiar, old, kind Bilbo Baggins had changed to a wrincled creature with a hungry face and bony, groping hands.

But just as quickly as it had occured, the shadow passed from the old hobbit's face and he backed away and collapsed in a nearby chair; his left hand was held over his eyes.

'' I'm sorry I brought this among you my boy!'' Bilbo choked out miserably, dropping his hand to his lap.'' As much as I'd like it to be so, the adventures never seem to have an end!''

The old hobbit turned to look another way, tears of guilt rolling freely down his wrinkled cheeks. '' I'm sorry, that you must carry this burden on your shoulders!'' he sobbed. '' I'm so sorry for everything!''

Frodo's tense expression softened to that of pity, as he slowly walked over to the chair his uncle sat in, and lowered an affectionate hand on his shoulder. Bilbo looked up and grasped the younger hobbits hand in his own and pressed his nephew's hand against his tear stained cheek.

Frodo leaned forward and rested his chin lightly against his uncle's head. The ring had been hidden behind the collar of his buttoned shirt.

The morning dawned dark and cold; the east wind was streaming through the bare branches of the trees and snow hung from the dark pines on the hills. There was also cnow on the ground in places where the sun couldn't shine.

It may have been the end of December, but in Rivendell the air had already grown warmer and the sun had melted most of the snow during the previous twenty days.

The Fellowship was to depart in an hour but Elrond was holding an important meeting where he advised the company to travel during the cover of darkness as much as possible and to have a lookout out for Sauron's and Saruman's spies on the ground and up in the sky.

'' The spies will soon go abroad the northern lands. Be careful of the spies that walk on land,'' Elrond was saying, '' and the ones that can fly!''

Those present to hear the Elf Lord's words nodded firmly. Elrond looked around the courtyard with a small frown on his face. '' I see that most of you stand before me as was told to, but one of your number is missing. Where is sir Kakashi?''

'' LATE as always, sir Elrond, and we are very sorry for it happening! '' Sakura exclaimed, looking like she wanted to rip out every last strand of her glossy, pink hair in exasperation. '' Naruto and I tried to look for him, but he apparently doesn't want to be found!''

'' He is simply obsessed about being late for everything.'' Naruto grumbled heatedly.'' He knew about the mission briefing and yet he is purposely LATE! It DOESN'T matter that the Fellowship won't leave for another hour!''

'' Oh, yes, we have all noted sir Kakashi's chronic- tardiness,'' Gandalf spoke up, putting a hand on both Naruto's and Sakura's shoulders,'' but the two of you aren't forced to apologise for what you're teacher has done on his own. The one who should apologise for his behaviour is Kakashi himself!''

'' Typical, of all times the man could have been late for the Fellowship- meetings, its today!'' Boromir huffed, putting both hands on his hips. '' Its enough that he was late for the meetings in the training fields, but to be late today…''

The Gondorian man shook his head.'' The man's as foolish as Pippin sometimes.''

'' HEY!'' Pippin exclaimed heatedly, affronted by the man's words.

'' Yes, I have to agree with your logic, Boromir!'' Gandalf commented with a small chuckle.

'' GANDALF!'' Pippin whined out to the wizard wearing his trademark grey robes, cloak and hat as Merry, Sam, Frodo, Naruto and Sakura started laughing at the young Took.

'' I, too, have to agree with Boromir!'' Aragorn spoke up, unable to stiffle the small smirk on his face.'' He sure is one of a kind!''

'' Totally agreed!'' Gimli joined in on the conversation.'' How can anyone be so late for such an important briefing like this one?''

'' Someone like Hatake Kakashi!'' Naruto answered sarcastically.

'' If he doesn't arrive at the sceduled time of departure at least,'' Gandalf huffed out,'' I'll hit him with my trusted staff!''

His words had Pippin, the other three hobbits, Sakura and Naruto burst out laughing again as they imagined just how funny it would be to see Gandalf hit Kakashi on the side of the head with his staff.

A full half an hour later…

'' You know, if he was living in Gondor as a soldier, he would have been stripped off his rank a long time ago for not arriving at the time he was told to!'' Boromir exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.

'' Oh, he will come sooner or later!'' Naruto sighed, as he took a card from Gimli; he was playing poker with Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Sam, Sakura and Gimli and was surveing the rest of the company sitting or standing around the courtyard.

Legolas, who had his Mirkwood bow and quiver strapped to his back, was fingering his set of pearl white knives as he sat on a nearby tree.

Aragorn, who was standing near the stairs talking with Gandalf and lord Elrond, was adjusting the pack over his shoulders every now and then; he did look a little nervous and worried. The Ranger was once again wearing his dark, weather-beaten clothes and his sword was strapped around his weapon-belt.

Boromir sat on the steps leading up to the house; his head was bowed to his knees. His huge shield was resting on the steps next to him and the war-horn was strapped to his belt as usual.

Gimli , whom seemed to be having a lot of fun playing poker with him, Sakura, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, had travelling clothes that consisted of a short,light-weight mail of steel-rings. He was using the broad bladed war-axe as an object to lean on..

Gandalf was sitting next to lord Elrond. He wore his grey cloak and robe; he also carried his wooden staff and a sword called Glamdring was girt at his side.

The Istari had explained to the blond Kyuubi- vessel and Sakura, that it was the same sword he and the thirteen dwarves had found in the troll- cave sixty years ago and a mate of Thorin's sword, Glamdring that lay upon the breast of Thorin under the Lonely Mountains.

Merry, Pippin and Sam had the small swords Aragorn had given to them on Weathertop, the Watch- tower of Amun Sul, but Frodo had been given a new sword by his uncle; the same one the old hobbit had pulled out of the scabbard in Bag End. And it was one of the three swords found in the troll-cave.

The last member of the company, the one that was present, was the poor pony called Bill, that they had taken with them from Bree. But he wasn't starved, bony or gloomy anymore; he had become glossy and young at heart.

Sam had insisted on taking him along.

'' The animal can nearly talk,'' he had exclaimed to lord Elrond and Gandalf,'' and would talk if he stayed here! He gave me a look as plain as Pippin could speak it! He would surely follow us if he was left behind!''

Naruto smiled and shook his head at Sam's fondness for the pony that was carrying their bags stuffed with thick clothes, jackets, cloaks with fur lining, spare food and blankets.

And it was heart-warming to see Bill nuzzle the plump hobbit affectionately at times.

The pony was certainly the most carefree and worry- free member of the Fellowship of the Ring.

''Yo, I got lost on the road of life!'' Kakashi greeted a half an hour later, walking down the cobble- stoned courtyard to meet his team with a backpack slung over his shoulders and the elven- sword made by the blacksmiths of Rivendell strapped to a brown, leather belt. He wasn't wearing his Jounin-vest anymore. Instead, his clothes resembled a very dark blue version of Aragorn's Ranger clothes with the added black mask.

'' YOU ARE LYING, SENSEI!'' Sakura and Naruto exclaimed.

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at their silver haired sensei, and Sakura actually brandished her battle-axe in the man's direction ( the weapon had been a gift to her from Gimli's father. The white haired and bearded dwarf had given it to her on the day he had headed back to the Dwarven- realm),'' AND YOU ARE LATE!''

Gimli and the hobbits laughed as Kakashi rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed expression showing through his thin black mask.

Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas, (who had just jumped out of the tree), watched with interest as Gandalf stalked over to the silver haired man with one hand on his hip and a stern look on his wrinkled face.

Kakashi, though, stood on the cobble- stoned ground completely calm; even somewhat lazily.

'' Now,'' Gandalf spoke, his grey moustache bristling slightly,'' where in the name of Arda have you been, Mr Kakashi? You were supposed to be present for the Fellowship Meeting an hour ago!''

'' Just hanging around, Mr Gandalf!'' Kakashi answered lazily.

Gandalf's moustache bristled; the wizard really didn't like when people were fooling around.

'' Hanging around, eh? Well, the next time you decide to just HANG around,'' the wizard said with a glare,'' think of the consequences before doing something so foolish!''

'' And what are the consequences you spoke o… ITAI (ouch)?''

Kakashi was answered by the pain in the back of his head when Gandalf's gnarled, wooden staff whacked him on the skull.

'' That for example, Mr Kakashi! Now come, we need to go in the Hall of Fire!'' the Istari huffed out. He then turned to stomp towards the stairs leading up to the house with the laughing, or grinning members of the Fellowship following him up the stairs; except for Bill that is. He stayed in the courtyard.

'' Didn't expect you to be shocked speechless, sensei!'' Naruto spoke in a low voice as he slid into a step beside the silver haired man.

His words earned him an annoyed glower from the older man whom was walking beside him with the dog-eared Icha Icha Paradise in his hand.'' Well, Tsunade- sama has never hit me with a staff, so it was quite unexpected.''

'' It was unexpected, but also funny; and you learned to not underestimate the old wizard! Hah hah haa!'' Naruto exclaimed, laughing, which earned him another glare from his sensei.

'' These shall be my last words to you!**''** Lord Elrond spoke as he stood in the middle of the floor of the Hall of Fire. '' The Ring-bearer is setting out on the quest towards Mount Doom. Its his job to not throw it away on the way to Mordor, deliver it to any servant of the enemy nor let anyone handle it, except for the members of the Fellowship and the council; and that only in gravest need!

Frodo nodded at the Elf- Lord's words; he was standing next to the chair his uncle was sitting on.

'' Those that walk with him,'' Elrond continued, '' are free companions to help him on his way. You may turn back if you feel the need, because the further you go, the more danger you will be in. And yet, the further you go, the less easy it will be for you to withdraw. ''

'' But a member that says farewell to his friends when the road darkens, would be faithless.'' Gimli spoke up in his normal, gruff voice. '' I'd rather stick to my promise than break it!''

'' Sworn words may strengthen ones quaking heart,'' Elrond answered gravely,'' but it may also break it, Gimli! Do not look to far ahead and go with open hearts. The blessings of men, elves and every other free folk of Middle Earth will be with you! Farewell!''

The elves, men and dwarves gathered in the Hall of Fire to bade their farewells did so with soft voices, which fed the morbid atmosphere within the Fellowship.

There was no laughter, no song, no music; just the quite voices of the folk gathered in the hall.

Many of them even followed the Fellowship outside to the courtyard where Bill the pony was waiting for the patiently.

Lady Arwen, Lord Elrond and Bilbo, whom was being supported by the dark haired elf-lord, were among them.

'' Good… good luck!'' Bilbo cried out to his nephew one last time as he, Arwen and Elrond watched the Fellowship disappear slowly into the dusk; he was shaking from the cold atmosphere outside.

Arwen, who had been watching her beloved Aragorn disappear into the horizon, took off her white shawl and wrapped it over the elderly hobbit's shoulders; she was given a grateful glance from Bilbo.

'' _I sit beside the fire and think,'' _Bilbo sang softly, as he turned to walk back inside the house with the two elves,'' _at all that I've seen, of meadow- flowers and butterflies ín summers that have been…''_

His eyes shimmered as he thought of the dangers his nephew, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Naruto and Sakura would be forced to endure on their journey to Mordor.

He hoped that no harm would befall them, but he understood that the coming dangers couldn't be avoided.

_Of yellow leaves and gossamer_

_in autumns that there were_

_with morning mist and silver sun_

_and wind in my hair_

The song had Bilbo think of how many lovely autumn days he had experienced during his long life of hundred and thirteen years. The last thirty years he'd lived in the Shire had truly been lovely and full of fun times with his nephew, Sam, Merry and Pippin.

_I sit beside the fire and think_

_of how the world will be when_

_winter comes without a spring_

_that I shall ever see _

'' But there may not be another spring for us if Sauron gets his hands on the ring.'' Bilbo thought gloomily as he, Arwen and lord Elrond entered the Hall of Fire.

He handed the shawl back to Arwen and thanked the lady for lending it to him before walking to a corner of the room where a comfortable chair stood by the fireplace.

Bilbo sat down and watched the dancing of the flames.

_For still there are so many things that I've never seen,'' _the old hobbit sang quietly_,'' in every wood, in every spring there is a different green…''_

_I sit beside the fire and think_

_of people long ago_

_and people who will see a world_

_that I shall never know_

Bilbo stopped singing to think of the children living throughout the land of Middle- Earth, who would live in a time of war; not a time of peace.

'' I have to hope that Frodo and the others are able to destroy the ring for the sake of all the beings who live in Middle- Earth,'' Bilbo whispered to himself.'' And that they will all return safely to Rivendell and bring news of what had happened on the journey and any songs or tales they'd heard. I'd enjoy writing a second part to the The Hobbit's Tale.''

Meanwhile, the Fellowship had crossed the bridge that went over the Bruinen River and climbed slowly up the long, steep paths that led out of the cloven valley of Rivendell.

The company then stopped for a short while to peer down at the Last Homely House below.

'' I'm going to miss this place.'' Sakura said softly as she and Naruto stood by each other on the large boulder that overlooked the valley below.

The blond ninja squeezed her on the shoulder.'' I'll miss it too, Sakura. Its been wonderful living here as long as we did.''

'' I don't think we will see anything this beautiful on the journey, even if we were to look.'' the young kunoichi sighed morbidly.

'' Now don't you count your chickens before they hatch, you two!'' Gimli exclaimed with a laugh and slapped the two ninja over their shoulders with enough force that the both of them stumbled forward and almost toppled over the edge.

'' WHOA! '' the young dwarf then exclaimed, noticing his mistake. He lunged forward, grabbed the back of their clothes and pulled them back from the edge of the boulder.

'' I'm dreadfully sorry for that lady Sakura. And you too Naruto!''

'' No worries, but that would have been a long free-fall.'' Naruto gasped out as he, Sakura and Gimli jumped off the boulder and hurried after the rest of the fellowship whom had already started off again.

'' No problem, Gimli.'' Sakura spoke rather weakly; her legs were still shaking slightly. '' Just be more careful next time you decide to cheer us up!''

Sometime later after crossing the Ford of Bruinen, the Fellowship left the road and turned southwards before taking a narrow path among the folded land.

They all knew their purpose; which was to hold their course west of the mountains for many miles and days.

They soon found the country to be rough and barren compared to the green vale of the Great River in the wilderland on the other side of the range.

The hobbits kept stumbling over the loose rocks and hidden roots and the going in the group was slow, but they hoped to remain unseen by unfriendly enemy eyes.

Gandalf was walking in front with Aragorn who knew this land even in the dark.

Next came the four little hobbits with Bill the pony, and they were followed by the slightly taller, heavy built Gimli who used his axe as a walking- stick.

Boromir followed behind the dwarf while Naruto and Sakura followed behind the man of Gondor; the young kunoichi was copying Gimli's use of his axe much to the blond man's amusement.

The last two members, Legolas and Kakashi were the rear-guards. Legolas had the keenest eyes and Kakashi had the keenest hearing and sense of smell of the company.

Not much was spoken during the first leg of the journey; for many days an icy wind blasted from the mountains in the east.

Every member( minus Legolas) were freezing despite their warmer clothes and the fact that they stayed moving.

During the middle of the day they slept huddled together for warmth in order to escape the winds icy, searching fingers. The places were either a hollow ditch or under tangles of thorn-bushes that grew in thicksets in many places

Naruto had been in a pretty bad mood before bedtime one evening when he had sat on a huge thorn-branch on the ground. Twenty large thorns had to be pulled out of his butt by his giggling lover before he could settle down and sleep, so it was no wonder that he had felt cranky.

They were woken by Legolas in the afternoon for their chief meal which had to be eaten cold because Gandalf had said they couldn't risk lighting a fire.

And when evening came upon them, the Fellowship set off again…

A fortnight later the weather changed; the wind stopped flowing from the mountains and the clouds lifted and melted away. The sun came out pale and bright, but the dawn was cold and clear as the company reached a low ridge crowned with ancient holly trees.

Their grey- green trunks seemed to have been built into the very stone of the hills and their dark leaves shone in the sun. The berries sticking to the branches glowed red in the light.

And when Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin gazed out in the southern direction, they could see the lofty, dim shapes of mountains that seemed to stand across the path that the company was taking.

'' Look!'' Naruto suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the tallest of the three peaks. '' That mountain is tipped with snow!''

'' It must be very cold in that mountain!'' Sakura commented, squinting her green eyes as the bright sun assaulted them.

'' Well, this shows that we have done well to have come this far.'' Gandalf spoke up from where he was standing next to Frodo.'' We have reached the borders of the country that that men call Hollin; many elves lived here when the place was called Eregion.

'' How many leagues have we walked already, Gandalf?'' Pippin asked curiously. '' We have been stumbling through rough terrain for a fortnight and it seemed at first that the land looks the same every day.''

'' This journey has been going for five and forty leagues as the crow flies, '' Gandalf answered, '' though many long miles further our feet have walked us. The land and the weather will be milder now, but perhaps all the more dangerous.''

'' Dangerous or not, a real sunrise is a welcoming change,'' Frodo spoke as he threw back his hood and let the sun shine on his face.

'' But don't you think we have turned eastward during the night?'' Pippin asked a little worriedly.'' The mountains are ahead of us now!''

'' No!'' Gandalf said.'' You see further ahead when the light is clear. The range bends round south-west beyond those peaks! I suppose you never thought of looking at the many maps in Elrond's house, Pippin!''

'' Yes I did, Gandalf!'' Pippin exclaimed with an affronted look on his face.'' But I'm not good at remembering something I've seen in maps! Frodo, Sakura, Kakashi and even Naruto have a better head for that sort of thing!''

Everyone turned to look at the blond haired ninja whom blushed slightly when the attention of every member of the fellowship turned to him.

'' Well, '' Kakashi commented with a smile, and scratched his masked chin, '' Naruto's attention and memory have drastically changed for the better!''

'' Uhhh… I admit that I didn't pay that good of an attention in the Ninja Academy.'' Naruto muttered out loud with flushed cheeks.'' But now I can admit that I recognise those three mountain peaks from the map.

Gimli, whom had a strange look in his eyes, decided to suddenly speak up.

'' Our fathers worked in this land in the times of old,'' he said,'' and we have wrought the image of those mountains into many works of of metal and stone; and of course into many songs and tales for our children. I need no map to know where we are!''

'' Have you ever seen them this close before, Gimli?'' Sakura asked the dwarf whom had turned to look at the three mountains ahead.

'' This is the first time I've seen them in real life, but I know them and their names. Under them lies Khazad-dum, the Dwarrowdelf that is now called the Black Pit, Moria in elvish tongue. Further ahead there is the Barazinbar, the Redhorn, cruel Caradhras; and beyond him are Silvertine and Cloudyhead. In elvish they are named Celebdil the White and Fanuidhol the Grey and in dwarvish they are called Zirakzigil and Bundushathur. Beyond them the Misty mountains divide and between their arms lies the deep-shadowed valley which we cannot forget; its name is Azanulbizar, the Dimrill Dale which the elves call Nanduhirion.''

'' When you talk about these places, Gimli, you sound very passionate.'' Sakura said with a smile.'' Do you wish to see the valley Nanduhirion?''

Gimli nodded with a faraway look in his dark eyes.

'' Our purpose from the beginning was to set out to the Dimrill Dale.'' Gandalf spoke up. '' If we climb the pass that is called the Redhorn Gate under the far side of Caradhras, we shall come down by the Dimrill Stair into the deep valley of the dwarves. In there lies mirrormere, and the River Silverlode rises in its icy springs.''

The dwarf turned to look at the wizard with noticeable joy.'' Dark is the water of Kheled-zaram,'' he whispered, '' and cold are the springs of Kibil-nala. My heart trembles at the thought that I may see them soon.''

'' May you have the joy at the sight, my good dwarf!'' the wizard spoke gravely,'' But we cannot stay in the valley for long. We must go down the Silverlode into the secret woods, and so to the Great River , and then…''

'' Where to then?'' Kakashi asked from where he was sitting on a boulder.

'' To the end of the journey- in the end,'' Gandalf answered, '' We cannot look too far ahead like lord Elrond said, Mr Kakashi. I think we should rest here for the day and night and continue in the evening tomorrow!''

'' Why are we stopping for such a long time?'' Naruto asked inquiringly as he slid his pack off his back onto the ground.

'' Because every one of us need our rest, Naruto!'' Gandalf sighed. '' I also sense a wholesome air about Hollin. Much evil must befall a country before it forgets the elves, if once they dwelt there!''

'' The elves of this land were a strange race to us Silvan folk, and the trees and the grass do not remember us now,'' Legolas spoke sadly, looking up in into the sky.'' But the stones speak this: _deep they delved us, fair they wrought us, high they builded us; but they are gone!''_

'' So, what exactly happened to the strange elves that once lived in this land?'' Kakashi asked the fair haired Mirkwood elf. '' Where did they go?''

'' They sought the havens,'' The Mirkwood prince answered with sadness in his voice,'' a long, long time ago!''

In the late afternoon if the second day, Gandalf took Aragorn aside to look at the looming sight of the mountain Caradhras and talk, while the others were finishing the last of their share of the delicious breakfast Sam had cooked for them all.

Or in Merry's and Pippin's case, sparring with Boromir or were on watch for the enemies of Sauron like Legolas and Kakashi.

'' From the circumstances that we have gathered lately,'' Gandalf was saying to Aragorn, '' I fear that the Redhorn Gate is being watched by those Crebain you and Sam saw last night. And I also fear that snow will come to slow our descent on the mountain. We must go with all the haste that we can, but even so it will take us longer than two marches before we reach the top of the pass!''

'' Dark will come early this evening,'' Strider muttered,'' And if you say there will be snow, then we might meet bitter cold on the mountain before we come down the other side. It would not help us to keep so secret that we are all frozen to to death, Gandalf. There are still some trees and bushes, so each of us should carry a faggot of wood as large as the person can possibly carry!''

'' But if anyone was to ask my opinion,'' Gimli huffed as he walked over to the to two men having a conversation, ''which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome!"

Gandalf shook his head in refusal.

"No Gimli!" he answered with a frown. "I would not take the road through Moria unless I have no other choice."

Gimli looked very dissatisfied at the wizard's answer to his proposal as he, Gandalf and Aragorn turned to watch the spar between the captain of Gondor and the two youngest hobbits.

'' Two, one, five!" Boromir was saying as he parried Pippin's blows with his heavy broad sword. "Good! Very good!"

"Move your feet, Pippin!" interjected Aragorn, whom noticed that the youngest of the four hobbits was standing much too still when handling out the sword blows; a problem the lad had had since the Ranger and the Gondorian man had started teaching the hobbit how to use the sword properly.

"Oh, give the lad a break, Aragorn!" Sakura exclaimed from where she was sitting on a boulder next to Naruto, whom was finishing the last of his meal. "They're still learning how to fight with those swords you gave them!"

'' I was just giving Pippin some advice that could make a difference between life and death in a real fight, lady Sakura!'' the Ranger answered, smiling vainly at the pink haired ninja.

'' He has a point you know, Sakura!'' Naruto mumbled between the bites he took from his meal.

" Don't listen to the Ranger, Pippin!" Merry exclaimed, laughing at the embarrased expression on his friend's face.

"Thank you, Merry!" the young hobbit replied with a sheepish grin on his face.

" Merry, its your turn!" Boromir instructed the older hobbit**,** whom immediately jumped into the spar. '' And Pippin, try to back Merry up!''

Pippin gasped as the man parried the blow Merry dealt on him and came straight

towards him. The startled hobbit tried to block the unexpected attack that came towards him, but the Gondorian's sword accidentally cut him on the left hand.

"AHHH!" the young Took exclaimed at the prickle of pain he felt on his palm.

"Sorry!" Boromir quickly apologised and stepped forward to take a look at the hobbit's injured hand, but Pippin decided that the man needed payback.

He swiftly kicked the man in the shin which had the man from Gondor utter his own exclamation of pain.

Merry took his change to slam the flat of his blade against the back of Boromir's other leg, shouting: "Get him, Pippin!''

The tall man found himself pushed to the ground by the two laughing, energetic hobbits whom were jumping on his stomach.

"For the Shire!" Pippin cried out, "Hold him! Hold him down, Merry! Hold him down!"

Boromir just laughed at the two hobbits trying to keep him down on the ground; even

Frodo, Sam, Sakura, Naruto, Gimli, and Gandalf were laughing out loud in the background.

Aragorn, though, just smiled at the scene playing out before him.

Kakashi and Legolas took a quick glance, smiled and then turned their backs to continue scouting for signs of trouble.

After a few more minutes of watching the playful fight, the smiling Dunedain stood up and walked towards the trio.

'' Gentlemen, that's enough.'''' he said firmly and layed a hand on each of the hobbit's shoulders.

But to his dismay, the two young hobbits grabbed onto his legs and yanked him on his back on the hard ground.

The poor Ranger immediately uttered a small ''oofff'', as the air was knocked out of his lungs

His ears picked up the sound of Naruto and Sakura howling with laughter as he scrambled to his knees grabbed hold of Merry's and Pippin's wrists.

'' Calm down, you two!'' he exclaimed as Pippin yelped: "He's got my arm! He's got my arm!"

'' Aragorn, are you sure you are the heir of the Great Isildur? '' Naruto hollered from where he was sitting; a smirk was firmly etched onto his face.'' Because you are being beaten by two itsy bitsy hobbits! WHOA!''

He dodged a well aimed rock thrown by the larger man whom was still sitting on the ground holding the two hobbits by their wrists (this time with just one big hand closed around their wrists).

Naruto was about to say something else to the Ranger who's eyes were half-heartedly glaring at him, when Sakura tapped him on the shoulder and gestured to the sky.

The Kyuubi-vessel turned to look and immediately spotted what Sakura had seen; which was, to his eyes, a large black cloud.

"What is that?" Sam voiced out his own guestion with furrowed eyebrows as he watched the strange shape coming closer and closer.

"Nothing!" Gimli replied with a dismissive tone. " It's just a wisp of cloud."

"It's moving fast," Boromir commented, picking himself off the ground and helping Merry and Pippin to stand, " against the wind."

"CREBAIN FROM DUNLAND!" Legolas exclaimed suddenly, as his sharp elven eyes picked up the sight of the black birds.

"HIDE!" Aragorn cried out immediately, grabbing Pippin by the arm and dragging him towards some bushes.

" Sakura! Naruto! Kakashi!" Boromir cried, scooping Merry up in the crook of his arm as he ran to find a hiding place, "Frodo! Take cover"

'' Sam, snuff out the fire, grab your things and find cover! And use dirt, not water!" Aragorn called out to the chubby blond haired hobbit whom hurriedly grabbed handfuls of soft dirt from the ground and threw it into the lazily smouldering flames.

He then grabbed his travelling-pack and pans.

Naruto and Sakura snatched their belongings and hid under a large thorn- bush as the others hid behind rock outcroppings or under more of the thorn- bushes surrounding the hillside.

The blond ninja wanted to curse their foul choice for a hiding place but curbed in the urge to complain out loud to Sakura.

There they waited silently as several frightening minutes passed. Then the flock of black birds rushed in swiftly from the sky overhead, cawing loudly and circling round the hill for signs of the twelve companions.

When the Crebain finally turned to fly back southward, the Fellowship slowly emerged from their hiding places one by one

"Spies of Saruman!" Gandalf spat out in disgust as he looked back at the birds that were flying away southward. " The passage south has been watched!"

" Saruman's spies?" Sakura inquired with a worried look in her eyes, "Do you think that he plans to somehow stop us from going further, Gandalf?"

"Indeed yes, Sakura!" the wizard answered, " And he will probably try something much worse.''

'' He is going to try and take the ring from Frodo and hand it over to Sauron, '' Kakashi spoke up morbidly,'' or if the Ring's call is too strong for him, he will attempt to hold on to it himself.''

The Fellowship was silent for a long moment (Frodo looking up at Gandalf with fear filled eyes) as they all tried to grasp the significense of the danger that could very well come to pass if someone so powerful as Saruman would get his hands on the Ring of Power.

**End of Chapter 12 The Fellowship leaves Rivendell**


	13. Chapter 13 The Peaks of Caradhras

**Chapter 13 The Peaks of Caradhras and the Dangerous Forbidden Road**

**Summary: What will happen when the members of the Fellowship of the Ring travel along the path leading through the icy Caradhras?**

**Find out in Chapter 13**

The Grey Istari, Gandalf, had sought to lead the members of his company towards the mountain of Caradhras with good speed, but the twisting and climbing road was very steep, slippery and difficult to climb. And in places it was blocked with fallen stones which further hindered their progress.

Everyone felt the bitter cold that swirled among the rocks and went under their clothes as they stumbled and slipped further up the seemingly unnoticeable trail.

The hobbits were shivering terribly by the time they reached the toes of the mountain, and even Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, Gandalf looked uncomfortable as they trudged up a sharp slope and halted for a moment at the top to watch the soft, white snowflakes fall from the sky and land on their faces, hair and clothes.

Naruto was almost instantly reminded of the unexpected snowfall in the Land of Waves after the fight between his team, Zabuza, Haku and Gato had come to an end.

He gave a small, sad smile as the almost feminine looking boy's image floated before his eyes and his words repeated in his head: _'' Those who have a special someone, will become stronger.'' _

'' Brings back memories, doesn't it, Naruto?'' Sakura whispered as she put out her arm and watched the snowflake settle on her sleeve.

'' It does.'' the blond Kyuubi vessel agreed. '' I remember the good snow-fights we had in Rivendell but in a sadder note, I recall what occured in the country of Wave.''

Sakura nodded sadly.

'' Our first dangerous mission in the Land of Waves. The death of Haku and Zabuza!'' she stated with a whisper as she pressed against Naruto and wrapped a comforting arm around his waist.

Her fiance pulled her close and breathed in her scent.

Naruto loved the way her pink hair tickled his cheek and the feeling of her slender body brushing against his. She was so beautiful; even now when her hair was matted and greasy after days without a proper bath.

The snow was beginning to fall fast and filling the air with white sparkles that blew into the eyes of the Fellowship.

Frodo, who was walking behind Gandalf and Aragorn, barely saw their bent shapes in front of him; and they were just a few paces from him.

'' I don't like this at all!'' Sam shouted to be heard over the wailing wind. He frantically brushed away the snow that had fallen on his cheeks '' Snows alright on a fine morning in Rivendell, or falling in the Shire to the joy of hobbit children!''

The snowfall was actually just as bad as during the year 1311, when the white wolves invaded the Shire after crossing the frozen Brandywine River; but it had happened so long ago, that only Bilbo remembered how it had felt like to see wolves invading their peaceful land.

'' I agree with you, Sam!'' Kakashi spoke loudly from the back.'' I admit I enjoyed the snowball-fights in Rivendell, but this is just way too much snow!''

'' Remind me again why we are going through the path of cruel Caradhras!'' Gimli roared out from the middle of the line.

'' Because the Crebain are watching the road going south, Gimli!'' Sakura was quick to answer. She had to shout to be heard over the wind.

And Naruto, whom had pulled his cloak tightly around himself, was angrily saying: '' I hate this mountain! I hate this moutain! I hate the damn mountain!''. And loudly enough for almost everyone in the Fellowship to hear.

'' I too hate this mountain.'' Boromir sighed in mild irritation to the Kyuubi container's unsatisfied grumbling.

A few moments passed before the Fellowship suddenly stopped. Gandalf turned to look down at his feet which were covered ankle- deep into the white, powdered snow.

'' This is what we both feared, Aragorn.'' he sighed with slumped shoulders.

'' I wish I had been wrong about the snow and the bitter cold,'' Aragorn said sadly,'' but alas, we weren't blessed with luck. Its strange, though. The snow seldom falls heavily so far in the south, save high up in the mountains. But we are not high up yet; we are still far down where the path are open all winter.''

'' So, any ideas as to what could have possibly caused a storm of this magnitude?'' Sakura asked with a worried expression in her green eyes.

'' They say in Gondor, that Sauron can govern the storms in the mountain of shadow that stand upon the borders of Mordor. He has strange powers and many allies.'' Boromir answered from where he was standing behind Gimli.

'' But we can't rule out the change that the betrayer, Saruman, is helping Sauron create this snowstorm.'' Legolas argued.

'' If that's true, then we will be expecting an even worse snowstorm than this.'' Kakashi sighed dejectedly, shaking his head to rid his silver hair of the fallen snowflakes. '' What's going to become of the hobbits if the amount of snow on the ground increases?''

'' They'll probably drown in the snow.'' Naruto answered his sensei with slight sarcasm.'' That means we shall have to carry them, and that'll slow us down just the same. Only Legolas can walk on top of the snow without needing to use chakra, but if we are to walk on top of the snow, it will put a dent in our chakra reserves.''

'' It would do us no good if any of you collapsed from excessive chakra use. '' Gandalf said sternly.'' For now, the snowfall has slackened, so we should set off again. We don't know how long it is going to stay like this.''

Everyone nodded and followed the wizard whom set off again, but unfortunately, it took only a furlong before the wind and the snow returned with fresh fury.

Boromir and the other big people found themselves struggling against the blinding blizzard, and the poor hobbits were bent nearly double.

Frodo was breathing heavily and his feet felt like lead. Pippin fell to his knees several times as weariness attacked his limbs like a plague; he nearly sobbed as he struggled to his feet to keep going.

It showed, that if the hobbits hadn't been walking in the middle of the group, they would have fallen behind.

Then, as if one, the company suddenly halted. Shrill cries, and wild howls of laughter could be heard mixed with the wind in the darkness around them.

'' What is that sound?'' Sakura shouted over the howling wind while stooping to pick up Pippin who had fallen to his knees on the snow and was panting for breath.

'' Could it be a trick of the wind?'' Naruto shouted, picking up Frodo and setting him up on his shoulders. The poor hobbit was so exhausted he barely noticed himself being lifted up to rest on the Kyuubi- vessel's shoulders.

'' It could, unless someone else has a better explanation!'' Legolas hollered.

Then…

RRRUUUMMMBBBLLLEEE

'' LOOK OUT!''

Legolas jumped forward in the snow and pushed Kakashi out of the way of a falling boulder that slammed to the snow- filled ground with a humungous crash just inches away from the elf's left leg.

The rumbling sound heard before the Copy- ninja was pushed to the ground had been the boulder breaking free of the mountain.

Gandalf breathed out a sigh of relief as the elf and Ninja picked themselves off the ground and brushed the snow off their clothes.

'' Thank you, Legolas.'' Kakashi spoke, giving the blond elf his one-eyed smile.

'' Don't mention it.'' Legolas replied rather lightly despite having almost been crushed by the falling boulders.

'' What in the name of Kami was that all about?'' Sakura asked; her face had paled slightly.'' The laughter could have been mistaken for a trick of the wind, but those rocks were aimed at us.''

Then suddenly, just as she spoke those words, a haunting voice was again heard amongst the wind's wailing cry.

'' Ah, I guess I could be wrong about the voice.'' Sakura mumbled the same moment Gandalf shouted: '' ITS SARUMAN!''

RRRUUUMMMBBBLLLEEE

More rocks began to fall down the side if the mountain. Everyone pressed themselves against the face of the cliff as the huge boulders whistled over their heads and crashed on the path between them and the long fall down the mountain.

Some fell very close to the members of the company, much to everyone's fright.

'' He is trying to bring down the mountain!'' Aragorn shouted.'' Maybe we should go back and find another path!''

'' From WHERE?'' Naruto shouted.'' The path south is being watched, Aragorn!''

'' And the path of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!'' Gandalf added his argument.

'' Then what are we supposed to do then?'' Boromir shouted angrily.'' This will be the death of the hobbits, if we continue down the path of Caradhras!''

'' Well, going back the way we came from or going forward along the path of Caradhras will not be possible tonight!'' Sakura joined in on the shouting. '' The snowstorm is way too strong and dangerous!''

And as if emphazising the kunoichi's words, a strange thing occured; a lightning split the air and struck the rocky outcrop hanging over their heads with an ear-splitting explosion. Boulders fell down upon them, forcing everyone to take cover against the side of the cliff.

They all watched with horror as the rocks were followed by the sound of an avalanche.

Sakura and Naruto couldn't help but cry out as the surprising weight of snow and ice pulled them under; yet they never let go of their hobbit friends.

Moments past, then, the three ninja and Legolas were the first to burrow their way out of the snow-trap; they then immediately pulled the hobbits out of the snow that was piled up to Sakura's neck.

Legolas then turned to assist Gandalf as he wriggled himself out of the trap.

Aragorn and Boromir were strong men; they broke through the surface without needing help, but Sam and Merry needed to be lifted out and so did Gimli, much to his dissatisfaction at having to be helped.

'' Sauron's arm has indeed grown long, and so has Saruman's.'' Gandalf said, panting slightly.

'' What can we do?'' Pippin cried out miserably, his small body shivered as he leaned against Sakura who had thrown her warm cloak around them both and had one of her arms comfortingly on his shoulder.

'' Either stop where we are or go back.'' Gandalf answered. '' It is not going to help us if we keep going. The path leaves the cliff a little further on and runs into a wide, shallow trough at the bottom of a long hard slope. We won't have shelter there from snow, boulders or anything else that wants us dead!''

'' But what do we do once the morning comes?'' Sam cried out from where he was held against Boromir's chest; the man's heavy, wine-red cloak was wrapped around him.

'' That decision I shall bestow upon the Ring-bearer.'' Gandalf announced, turning to the dark haired hobbit who was wrapped in Naruto's dark- green cloak.'' Frodo?

Frodo bit his lip as his eyes wandered to another direction, without really focusing on anything. He had seen his hobbit friends Sam, Merry and Pippin struggling on despite their obvious exhaustion. And though they didn't complain, he was sure that the other members of the Fellowship, his friends, were tired as well as freezing on the mountaín.

'' We will go through the mines!'' he finally announced with a firm voice.

Gandalf gave a resigned sigh; he dreaded the dangers they would meet in the mines.

'' So be it.'' he finally spoke.'' But for now, we will stay here until the storm is over. We have passed no place on the way up that offered more shelter than this cliff-wall we are under.''

'' Shelter?'' Sam muttered incredulously. '' If this is shelter, then one wall and no roof make a house!''

'' I would much rather stay here, than be struck by boulders in an open place, Sam!'' Pippin retorted between chattering teeth, as the Fellowship started to clear the place of the snow that had fallen on top of them due to the avalanche.

Bill the pony whined slightly and looked slightly dejected as he stood in front of the hobbits, screening the little ones from the falling snow the best he could.

Sam saw the pony's dejected expression and reached out to rub Bill's nose.

Bill gently breathed into the hobbit's hand; his expression was less gloomy than it had been a moment ago.

But before long, the drifting snow was above the pony's hocks and went on mounting.

The wind that whistle around them all chilled their hands and faces.

Frodo was dozing, his mind pulled into a hazy dream where he sat by the fire and Bilbo was reading his diary in the shadows on the other side of the room.

'' _Snowstorms in January the twelfth; there was no need to come back to report that.'' the old hobbit commented._

_But I wanted rest and sleep, Bilbo!'' Frodo answered with an effort, when someone shook him on the shoulder._

He came out of his dream with effort, and found Aragorn looking down at him with concern.

'' Its useless to sit here until the snow goes over our heads. We must do something to save ourselves!'' Boromir shouted to be heard over the wind.

'' Give them this, Aragorn.'' said Gandalf as he searched inside his pack and drew out a leathern flask.'' Just a mouthful for each of us. It is Miruvor, the cordial of Imladris. Elrond gave it to me at our parting.''

He handed the flask out to the Ranger who took a quick sip and then gave it to Frodo.

Frodo drank a small mouthful and handed it out to Sam.

The liquor was warm and fragrant; and soon after swallowing, the person drinking it felt his, or her, strength return and the drowsiness disappear from their limbs.

But the snow did not relent the slightest; it whistled about them thicker than before, and the wind blew louder.

'' What do you say about lighting a fire, Gandalf?'' Boromir asked as he lifted Sam out of a nest of snow.'' In my opinion, it would be best to light a fire instead of waiting for the snow to rise above our heads and for us all to freeze.''

'' I shall allow you to light up a fire, Boromir. But will you succeed in lighting it in this kind of weather?'' Gandalf answered.

They had all brought a faggot or two as Aragorn had suggested to Gandalf before they had decided to climb up the mountain. But they soon found out that it passed the skill of human, elf or even dwarf to strike a flame that would hold amidst the swirling wind, let alone catch in the wet fuel.

Kakashi opened his mouth to suggest using a fire-jutsu, but Gandalf almost reluctantly reached forward and picked up one of the faggots.

'' _Naur in edraith ammen_!'' he commanded, and thrust the end of the staff into the faggot.

Kakashi was a little surprised, when a green and blue flame spout out from the end of the staff. The wood immediately began to flare and sputter.

'' What kind of fire is that?'' Kakashi asked in awe as he watched the strange colored flames licking the burning faggot. He then put a hand closer to the strange flames, his eyebrows rising in wonder when he felt the soothing warmth spread from his fingertips to the rest of his arm.

'' A fire that will make my presence known to the enemies without any doubt.'' Gandalf answered with a weary sigh.'' But between letting the hobbits and everyone else in this company freeze, and lighting up a fire that will alert the enemy, using magic was the best option for us all.''

'' Thank you, Gandalf!'' Sakura exclaimed gratefully as she moved closer to the burning wood. She held out her hands towards the flames and smiled serenely as the warmth seeped into her white hands.

The others thanked the wizard as well, and settled in a circle around the merrily burning fire where around them, the snow hissed and pools of slush crept under their feet.

Even Bill the pony nuzzled Gandalf on the cheek as a way to thank the wizard.

…...

The dawn finally appeared from the horizon, and the sky was disturbingly bright compared to the stormy day that had been yesterday. The sun beamed down at them and warmed their faces and there was hardly any wind to be felt.

The Fellowship had used the last of their wood sometime ago, and so they were glad to feel the sun- rays against their skin; but when they looked around they noticed that under their refuge were white humps and domes of snow.

The deep footmarks they had created yesterday on the snow had altogether disappeared.

'' The enemy has not forgiven us.'' Gimli said with a shake of his shaggy head.'' He'll have much snow to fling at us yet, if we decide to on down the path of Caradhras. I'd say we leave this mountain as fast as possible.''

But the journey back down could very well be proved impossible, or at least very difficult. In places the snow had been scooped and piled by the wind into great mounts against the cliff and just a few paces from the ashes, the snow was discovered to be higher than the heads of the hobbits.

'' Great!'' Naruto muttered in frustration, kicking a small mound of snow and sending it flying in the air. '' Just wonderful luck we seem to have, don't we? We survived a snowstorm, but now we have another headache to condemn with! I guess we shall have to start walking on top of the snow!'' he finished with a sarcastic voice.

'' And carry Gandalf, Boromir, Aragorn, Bill and the hobbits?'' Sakura replied whilst rolling her eyes.'' Are you crazy, Naruto!''

'' If I may suggest a fire-jutsu to melt the snow for us.'' Kakashi commented as he watched his students bickering like a married couple.'' _And they could very well become that once this matter with the ring is over,'' he chuckled inwardly to himself.'' It was shocking to hear just how close those two youngsters have grown since coming to Middle - Earth.''_he then thought inwardly._'' But its a change nice to see that Naruto isn't getting hit by Sakura so often anymore.''_

'' Oh, yes.'' Gimli spoke wryly as he glanced up at the snow packed in great mounts above their heads. '' That would be a perfect solution to us, if your goal was to have another avalanche burry us under, Mr Kakashi!''

'' Maybe Gandalf can walk before us holding a bright flame.'' Legolas said brightly; he was immortal and thus had more resistance for the cold than the mortals travelling with him. All in all, he was the only one in the company who felt light at heart.

'' Oh, if elves could fly over mountains, they might fetch the sun to save us.'' Gandalf responded sarcastically. Merry and Pippin laughed slightly at the wizards words, but the rest of the company stayed quiet.'' Your plan wouldn't work, Legolas. I need wood or something else that burns to work with because I can't burn snow. And your suggestion, Mr Kakashi, would bring too much attention to us.''

'' Then I suppose us men should try and force a path for the others to walk on.'' Boromir commented, turning his glance first from Aragorn to Kakashi and then to Naruto whom stopped kicking the snow.

The three men nodded at Boromir's suggestion; and so the four of them followed through with the Gondorian man's idea, much to Sakura's and the hobbits amusement. The five of them had to stiffle their laughter at the sight of the heavily toiling men.

Aragorn was the tallest, but Boromir was broader and heavier than the Ranger; he went first and was followed by Aragorn. Next came Kakashi who was some centimeters shorter than the Gondorian man, but much more slender in built.

And last came Naruto; the Kyuubi container was a few inches shorter than the Copy-ninja, but he had a slightly stockier built than the older man.

At times the four men looked to be swimming or burrowing with their arms rather than walking.

'' The strongest must force a path you say, Boromir?'' Legolas said with a smile on his lips.'' But I say ´let the plowman plough, but choose an otter for swimming and an elf for running over grass and leaf- or over snow.''

He jumped nimbly onto the surface of the snow, waved a hand to the rest of the companions and then turned to run in the direction the four men had gone; his light shoes made little imprint on the soft snow.

'' What a show-off, that elf!'' Gimli grumbled unhappily as he, Sakura, Gandalf and the hobbits huddled together to watch Boromir, Aragorn, Kakashi and Naruto disappear into black specks in the horizon. '' I've seen you, Sakura, your boyfriend and your sensei actually walking on top of water; now that's a feat that no elf can ever do!''

'' But the elves are naturally light of body, for which at least I'm jealous of.'' Sakura retorted with a laugh.

Gimli had no comeback sentence for the kunoichi's words. He turned away with a smile.

And so, the remaining members of the Fellowship sat there in companionable silence, waiting for the four men to return. For Merry and Pippin, the wait felt like hours had past.

The clouds lowered; a few flakes of snow fell lazily down on the waiting companions huddled together for warmth.

An hour went by before Sakura saw Legolas hurrying back with light feet and at the same time her green eyes spotted Boromir, Aragorn, Kakashi and Naruto labouring up the slope.

'' Well,'' Legolas spoke as he ran up to the company waiting for news,'' I have not brought the Sun, but I've brought hope to those needing to walk on foot. A great wind-drift lies just beyond the turn, and there are strong men were nearly buried. But the drift is only a little wider than a wall and beyond that the snow is suddenly grows less, while further on the amount of snow is not much higher than the hobbits feet.''

'' Well, that is much better news than we've had for some time, Legolas.'' Sakura commented.

'' But what difference does it make for us hobbits?'' Pippin exclaimed as he eyed the snow before them.'' The snow is still too high for us to walk on!''

'' Have more faith in your companions, little one.'' Boromir commented with a smile as he and the other three man reached the place where the rest of their company was standing; he lowered a comforting hand on Pippin's shoulder.'' I may be weary, but I have strength left to bear you little folk, and so does Aragorn. And I doubt Mr Kakashi and Naruto are at all weary from this walk, or swim through the snow.''

'' Swimming would be a more accurate word for what we were doing out there, Boromir- san.'' Kakashi commented with his one-eyed smile.

Merry, Pippin, Sakura and Gimli laughed lightly at the Copy- ninja's words, and even Frodo, Sam and Gandalf looked faintly amused.

Naruto just groaned.

'' Well, I'm sure not tired,'' he mumbled,'' but I for one am sick of seeing snow everywhere I look, and I probably won't be happy about seeing it for a long time after we get off this damn mountain!''

'' Maybe you and Kakashi should have volunteered to turn into spades for Boromir and I to use for shifting snow.'' Aragorn said quite seriously as he picked up Frodo and set him over his shoulders.

'' No matter how much it would benefit the whole Fellowship, Aragorn, I'm forced to decline the honour of having my face shoved into a deep patch of snow. '' Naruto retorted with a grimace as he lifted Sam on his back. '' Hold on tightly, Sam!'' he then added to the chubby blond haired hobbit, whom nodded at him.

'' But what about Gimli?'' Merry voiced out his guestion as he was lifted on the back of Kakashi.'' I bet he will have a hard time getting through this path as well.''

But as he was speaking, Gandalf and Sakura were already taking a big bulk of the baggages from Bill's back and strapping them on the pink haired kunoichi. Legolas even took a few baggages for himself.

'' He will be riding Bill, Sam.'' was Sakura's short answer.

'' And I shall carry Pippin.'' Boromir said as he lifted the smallest of the four hobbits to his back.'' Clinge to my back, Pippín. I shall need my arms.''

'' Well, lets head off then.'' Gandalf said as he watched Sakura give Gimli a leg-up onto Bill the pony's back.

Boromir nodded and stepped onto the trodden path, followed by Aragorn whom was carrying Frodo.

Pippin looked on with wonder at the man's strength, as his eyes met the passage already forced with no other tool than his great limbs. And though the Gondorian was carrying a hobbit- sized burden, he was still widening the track for those who followed by thrusting snow aside as he walked.

Minutes followed, but at length they came to the great drift that was flung across the mountain path like a sheer and sudden wall. Its great crest was sharp and looming with shapes that looked like knives rearing up more than twice the height of Boromir.

But the passage, which rose and fell like a bridge, was breached in the middle.

The hobbits were set down on the far side of the passage and there they waited with their carriers for the others of the company to arrive.

Naruto came next with Sam, and he was followed closely by Sakura with the baggages.

Next came Kakashi with Merry and then Gandalf who was leading the pony.

On Bill's back, Gimli was perched among the remaining baggages.

Last came Legolas with the few baggages he had taken as a burden; and like always, he walked on top of the snow without problem.

They passed through the lane, but just as the Mirkwood prince reached the end of the path, a deep rumble was heard throughout the land, which they soon discovered to be the sound of falling rocks and the slithering of falling snow.

Kakashi lunged forward in the snow, grabbed the elf by the arm and quickly pulled him out of the way of a humongous falling boulder.

The Fellowship then crouched against the cliff as the spray of snow nearly blinded them all.

When the air cleared again, they saw the path behind them totally blocked.

''Whoa!'' was the only thing Sakura could utter as she stared at the amount of snow blocking the entrance to the mountain- path.

'' Enough, enough!'' Gimli cried, looking up at the looming mountain of Caradhras as he quickly dismounted Bill. '' We are departing as quickly as we may, Caradhras!''

But the avalanche had indeed been the last stroke of malice that the mountain flinged at them.

It was now satisfied that the invaders had been beaten back and that they wouldn't dare to return.

The clouds began to break and the light grew broader. And as Legolas had reported, they found that the snow became steadily more shallow as they went down so that even the hobbits could trudge along.

But even then, the descent showed hidden dangers that an unsuspecting person could walk into.

The Fellowship had traveling down the snowy mountain-patj, when Frodo suddenly slipped on a treacherous spot of ice on the ground.

He tumbled down the hill with a small yelp of shock which in turn caught the attention of everyone else in the company.

'' Frodo!'' Naruto exclaimed with concern as he caught hold of his friend just as the hobbit was going to tumble past him down the hill. '' Are you alright?''

'' Yeah, I…'' Frodo mumbled and quickly put his hand on the place where the ring usually hang from his neck, but to his fear and shock, he realizes it was no longer there.'' Oh no!'' he gasped out helplessly.

'' What is it, Frodo?'' Naruto asked with concern as he helped the dark haired hobbit on his feet. His heart jolted as he took note of his friend's obvious despair.

'' The ring is no longer chained to my neck!'' the dark haired hobbit answered the ninja's guestion; his blue eyes showed the despair and fear that had leaped to his heart at what he had discovered.

'' Maybe it slipped off you neck during that tumble you took a moment ago. '' the Kyuubi vessel said as he turned to look about the distinctive marks on the snow.

Then…

Frodo paled as he looked up to see Boromir stooping down to pick up the golden ring from a nest of snow by its chain.

The look on the man's face was that of pity and admirance towards harmless looking golden object.

'' Boromir!'' Aragorn called out to the Gondorian man; he was standing some distance away from the slightly shorter, but broader man.

'' It is a strange fate," Boromir spoke softly, but clearly enough for everyone in the company to hear his words,''… that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing.''

Everyone turned to look at the Stewart's son with obvious suspicion and distaste for his actions shown in their eyes.

Though Boromir had lost an edge to his wanting to bring the ring to his land of Gondor in Rivendell, the danger of him having a relapse in judgement had always been an unwanted, but possible reality to each of the members of the company.

Naruto bit hard on his upper lip and clenched his shaking hands into fists as he eyed the ring held in the Gondorian man's hand. He could, in the back of his mind, hear both Kyuubi and the Ring itself trying to lure him into taking Sauron's powerful object for himself.

But instead of complying to their wishes, the Kyuubi vessel pulled out a small kunai from his weapon-pouch and jammed it into the flesh of his left leg.

And just like it had done to Sasuke Uchiha all those years ago in the Forest of Death, the pain was able to focus the young man's jumbled thoughts and bring him out of the small trance he had fallen prey to.

'' Such a little thing.'' Boromir spoke in a hushed tone of voice and lifted his other hand up to touch the ring.

''BOROMIR!'' Aragorn abruptly commanded with a sharp tone of voice.

The younger man snapped out of his momentary daze and turned to look at the ragged Ranger whom he grudgingly accepted to being the long lost heir to the Kings of Gondor.

'' Give the ring to Frodo!'' Aragorn continued with a calculative look in his hard, grey eyes.

Boromir paused, and hesitated for a moment under the command of the older man, which prompted Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi to reach out for their weapon-pouches.

Aragorn drew his sword from its scabbard from where he was standing behind the Stewart's son.

'' Do as Aragorn commanded, or we will be forced to hurt you! And we mean business!'' Naruto spoke darkly.

The young ninja's fierce expression caught Boromir's attention; and so did the Kyuubi vessel's icy tone of voice.

He slowly walked the few meters downhill and held the ring out to the small hobbit; his eyes shifted warily from one ninja to the next.

The man hadn't missed the weapons poised in their hands and he knew that they would not miss their target if Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi decided to throw them.

And neither had he missed the drawing of a sword behind his back.

'' As you wish.'' he said as Frodo quickly snatched the ring away drom between his fingers.'' I care not!''

'' Sure you don't care!'' Naruto muttered under his breath as Boromir ruffled Frodo's hair before walking to the rest of the company.

Sakura and Kakashi put away their kunai, and so did Naruto a few moments later.

Aragorn sheathed his long sword and joined the blond haired ninja whom was walking downhill side- by side with Frodo.

It was then that he noticed the small droplets of sticky, red blood on the white snow.

Eyeing the young man, Aragorn soon noticed the problem: mainly the small kunai still lodged in the flesh of Naruto's leg.

He jogged over to the two friends, lowered a hand on the ninja's shoulder and brought him to a halt.

'' Aragorn, what…?'' Naruto asked inquiringly, but trailed off with a hiss of pain when the Ranger quickly, but steadily pulled the kunai out of his flesh.

Frodo, Aragorn and Naruto watched in silence as the wound closed on its own accord fairly quickly, emitting the eerie red glow that came from the blond shinobi having the Kyuubi sealed within him.

'' You were tempted by The Ring.'' Frodo stated after a moment in a hushed tone of voice.

Naruto said nothing, but the look of emotional pain on his face was enough of an answer.

Aragorn sighed softly, but he understood that the young man had been able to bring himself out of The Ring's lure by jamming the kunai in his leg.

The Ranger lowered a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

Frodo was very silent and thoughtful, but he held no hostility towards his friend as they continued to walk down the mountain.

The morning was far advanced when the company finally reached the knees of the mountain they had attempted to climb; all cold, tired and and with aching feet.

Especially the poor hobbits.

They looked back one last time to stare up at the mountain that had almost become their chilly grave.

Frodo, who was standing next to Gandalf, then suddenly noticed black specks flying before his eyes. He rubbed at them, but the black specks wouldn't disappear from his vision.

'' Gandalf, the Crebain!'' he hurriedly exclaimed, pointing up in the direction where the black birds were circling in the air.

'' That cannot be helped now.'' Gandalf said with a weary sigh.'' Whether the birds are good or evil, or have nothing to do with us at all, we must get down to the roots of the mountain quickly, unless you want to spend another dreary night on the knees of Caradhras.''

And as it turned out, no one wanted such a fate.

A cold wind flowed down behind them as they turned their backs on the Redhorn Gate and stumbled wearily down the slope…

Meanwhile in Isengard…

Saruman the White was standing on a platform awaiting his messenger birds. A few moments past before the Crebain had flown through several caverns and chasms before reaching the platform where their master stood waiting.

'' So Gandalf,'' Saruman laughed maliciously, after having depicted the messagefrom the voices of the black crebain,'' you tried to lead your group through the Redhorn Gate, but you were defeated by me and the mountain itself. And now you are risking a more dangerous road; one that you didn't want to take, Gandalf!''

The White Wizard gave a malicious smirk.

'' Moria; you fear to go into those mines. The dwarves delved to greedily and too deep. And you know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad- Dum. The creature whom bares the appearance of a shadow… and FLAME!''

The grey light of evening was waning fast when the Fellowship of the Ring halted for the night. The mountains behind them were veiled in deepening dusk, and the wind was cold.

Gandalf had given them all another small sip of the miruvor and afterwards they had eaten some food that had been both small and cold to staunch at least some of the hunger in their stomachs.

But the food hadn't done anything to staunch their worry as the hissing wind carried the sounds of howling and wailing in the empty spaces of the night.

Aragorn leaped to his feet. '' The wind is howling with wolf voices! The wargs have come west of the mountains!'' he exclaimed with worry shown in his grey eyes.

'' Then is it really a good idea to just wait till morning, Gandalf?'' asked a startled Merry; his eyes peered into the darkness around them.'' If the wargs are coming for us, then shouldn't we keep going?''

'' We will start as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.'' Gandalf answered, putting a comforting hand on the young hobbit's shoulder.

'' Maybe I should have taken Elrond's advice, Sam.'' Pippin muttered to Sam in a hushed tone, as the four hobbits sat huddled together on the ground. '' I fear that I'm no good after all. There is not enough of the breed of Bandobras the Bullroarer in me, and I'm not just saying it! Every time I hear these howls, it makes my blood freeze with fear!''

'' My heart is in my toes, Pippin.'' Sam answered with an uneasy voice.'' But we haven't been eaten yet, and we have stout folk here with us. I doubt, that whatever may be in store for us, isn't a wolf's belly!''

Before settling for the night, the company decided to climb to the top of the small hill under which they had been sheltering. An old, twisted tree stood next to a circle of boulders.

There they lit a fire amidst the circle of boulders and sat near the fire with two people standing on watch.

The hobbits were dozing uneasily and Bill the pony stood trembling and sweating near Sam.

The howling of the wolves was now all around them, sometimes nearer and sometimes further off.

Sakura jolted slightly when her jade-green eyes spotted many pairs of gleaming yellow eyes peering over the brow of the hill.

Naruto uttered a low noise that almost sounded like a growl, when some of the wargs advanced almost to the ring of stones.

He shifted in front of his hobbit friends whom had huddled close together; and from the corner of his eyes he immediately spotted Sakura and Kakashi moving to shadow the hobbits from different sides.

Then, a great wolf appeared out of the shadows and howled. It was obvious to everyone in the company that this wolf was the pack-leader calling out to the members of it's pack to launch an assault on the Fellowship.

'' Listen, hound of Sauron!'' Gandalf cried, standing up from the boulder he had been sitting on.

He strode determinedly towards the beast, holding his staff aloft. '' Fly if you value your foul skin! I will shrivel you from tail to snout, if you come within this ring!''

The grey furred wolf snarled and sprang towards the grey robed wizard with a powerful leap, but at that same moment a sharp twang was heard sounding through the night, followed by a hideous wail and the sound of a heavy body hitting the ground.

When the hobbits looked up, they saw Legolas standing with his Mirkwood- bow in hand and the warg laying on the ground with its bright red blood spilling in rivulets to the ground from where the elf's arrow had pierced its throat.

Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief and allowed his heart- beat to return to normal; he was very sure that he could have killed the beast if it had come towards the hobbits but it was good to know that Legolas's aim was so true even in the dark.

He watched as Gandalf, Aragorn and Boromir strode forward to take on the rest of the beasts, but the watching eyes suddenly disappeared entirely into the darkness.

The hours went by; the moon gleamed through the breaking clouds.

The hobbits were sleeping fitfully, until they were roused from sleep by a storm of blood curling howls breaking out all over the camp.

A great host of wargs had gathered silently around the circle of boulders and were ready to launch an assault on the Fellowship.

'' Fling fuel on the fire and then stand back to back with your swords drawn!'' Gandalf shouted to the hobbits whom hurried to draw their blades and throw branches into the flames.

The wizard then turned to the three ninja.'' Protect the hobbits!'' he ordered before turning to the approaching wargs.

The pieces of wood the hobbits had thrown in the fire blazed up and lit up the camp.

Frodo, with his heart pounding madly inside his chest, looked out to see many grey shapes spring over the ring of stones and more followed behind them.

Aragorn thrust his long sword into the throat of one of the huge animals that collapsed on the icy ground in seconds.

Boromir hewed another warg's head off its shoulders with one move of his strong arm and Gimli stood next to the two men with his stout legs apart and wielding his great battle-axe.

Blood was spilling onto the ground, making the ground sticky and slippery as the beasts were slewn one by one.

But the danger wasn't over for the hobbits.

Pippin yelped in fear as several wargs leaped in the direction he, Frodo, Merry and Sam were standing back to back with Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi standing in a circle around them.

But he had no reason to be afraid, for the ring around them couldn't be breached by any wolf.

Frodo winced when a small spray of wolf- blood spilled all over the front of his clothes as Kakashi's well aimed kunai found its way to the beasts jugular.

At the same time, Naruto's sword slashed open a warg's stomach.

Sakura glared at the over-grown wolf that readied itself to attack her and bite her throat open.

The warg attacked, and fell back with a strangled yowl as the kunoichi's battle-axe punctured it's chest.

'' _Naur in edraith ammen! Naur dan i ngauorth_!'' Gandalf suddenly thundered, tossing a blazing branch high up in the air.

A great roar and crackling noises lit the air as the tree above the Fellowship burst into a blinding inferno.

Naruto gasped, when he noticed that everyones's weapons suddenly shined with the same white flame that was raging hot and scorching around them.

And at that same moment, Legolas's last arrow flew through the air and plunged into the heart of a large warg-chieftain; the shaft had been burning as it flew, due to the hotness around them.

Seeing their leader loose his life, the remaining wargs fled with their tails between their legs

The Fellowship members watched the creatures run off in silence, not noticing that the fire behind them was slowly dying down until there were nothing left except for the falling ashes and small particles of wood still smouldering; there was also smoke curling above the burned, black tree- stumps.

The first light of dawn was also appearing from behind the hills, and lightened the land before the company.

But as the members of the company looked around for the warg carcasses, none of the people gathered found any signs of the fallen wargs near the campsite or any other signs of the battle except for the charred trees, splotches of warg-blood and Legolas's arrows that were scattered around the hill-top.

The arrows were all undamaged except for the one that had been burned up to the arrow-point.

'' These weren't ordinary wolves hunting for food in the wilderness.'' Gandalf commented worriedly.'' Let us eat quickly and leave this place!''

'' Obviously they weren't ordinary wolves.'' Sakura muttered sarcastically from where she was already putting her traveling-pack over her shoulders. ''Who would ever mistake those overgrown beasts for an ordinary wolf?

'' Well, we should head off again, then.'' Aragorn spoke grimly, ushering the hobbits to the place where their bags lay abandoned on the ash filled ground.

The Fellowship quickly gathered up all their belongings and left the ash and blood filled hill-top.

The company witnessed a change in the weather again as the clouds that had blocked the sun had evaporated southwards and the sky was a clear blue colour.

'' We must reach the doors before sunset,'' Gandalf spoke as they trudged towards the hidden gates of the Dwarf-dwelling, '' otherwise I fear that we may not reach them at all. Our path will be winding and neither Aragorn nor I have passed through often. In fact, Aragorn has never stepped a foot inside Moria, and I've been there only once before, and that day was many, many years ago.''

The others nodded silently, and with dread, as the grey robed Istari led them towards the mountains where the sides fell sheer into the shadows of the mountains feet.

Well, everyone except for Gimli, that is. He was now walking beside the old wizard with excitement visibly seen in his gait.

The morning was passing and noon was at the door, when the Fellowship got closer to the mountains. The company could see a line of bare cliffs and on the mountains midst there stood a Great Wall.

But alas, luck wasn't at their side! ¨

Gandalf, it seemed, had somehow gone astray. The company could not hear the sound of running water on the stream of Sirranon.

And so they wandered and scrambled forward in a rough country of red colored stones as they sought for the stream.

Boromir had almost completely lost his will to keep going; he was sure that they wouldn't be able to find the missing stream before sunset.

He was about to voice out his thoughts on camping for the night, when Gimli, who was now walking ahead of the Fellowship, called back to the rest of the company in excitement.

When Gandalf, Frodo, Boromir, Aragorn, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Bill, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi and Legolas came to stand by the knoll, they saw a deep and narrow channel below it.

It was silent and empty, and there was hardly a trickle of water flowing amongast the brown and red- stained stones but on the other side of it there was a path that looked broken and decayed.

It wound its way among the the ruined walls and paving- stones of something that looked like an ancient high-road.

'' Is this the stream, Sirranon, you talked about, Gandalf-san?'' Kakashi asked, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the almost dried up river.'' Should it be,well… bigger?''

'' This is the Gate Stream I talked about, sir Kakashi.'' Gandalf answered, shaking his head slightly at the sad condition of the channel.'' But I really can't guess what has happened to the river that once ran swiftly and noisily in this channel.''

'' Could it be diseased by the evil from Mordor?'' Naruto wondered out loud. He was looking down at the dried up stream with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

'' Or it could have dried up due to natural reasons.'' Sakura commented, shrugging her shoulders as she and her lover followed the other members of the Fellowship down the rough, winding path.

Many miles had gone by, and the company had become tired and footsore. They stopped briefly to have a hasty meal of cold sausages, tomatoes and bacon before heading off again.

At length, they arrived at a sharp bend and then followed the path to the brink of the channel before turning east again.

After moving East, they turned a corner and saw a low cliff about five fathoms high with a broken and jagged top. Water trickled down from the top of the cliff and through a wide cleft that seemed to have been carved out by a fall of water that had been strong and full.

'' This used to be the Stair Falls.'' Gandalf commented, pointing at the carving in the cliff-wall.'' But as you can see, it is now as dry as the stream we saw earlier today.''

He paused for a moment and said: '' Now, we must find the Stone Steps carved in the stone.''

But as it soon turned out, it didn't take much trouble to find the said stone stairs leading to the Walls of Moria.

Gimli sprang up the steps quickly in his excitement to see the home of his ancestors for the first time in his life.

Gandalf and Frodo followed not that far behind the excited dwarf; they were talking quietly to each other, so as not to be overheard by the others following behind them.

'' How is your shoulder, Frodo?'' Gandalf was, at the moment, asking the dark haired hobbit walking by his side.

'' Its better, but twinges every now and then.'' Frodo answered, shrugging his shoulders.

Gandalf nodded, then brought out a very delicate guestion. '' And the ring?'' he asked solemnly.

Frodo suddenly froze mid-step with a disbelieving expression carved to his thinned face at hearing the wizard's guestion.

'' You feel its power growing day by day, don't you, Frodo?'' Gandalf continued, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. He then knelt to the hobbits eye- level and said: '' You need to be careful, because the danger doesn't only lurk on the outside of the Fellowship. The danger lies also within the hearts of the members of our Fellowship. One bad choice can break the chains holding all our friends together in this mission.''

'' Boromir.'' Frodo stated in a hushed tone, glancing briefly behind him where the man of Gondor was walking alongside Aragorn.

'' Him, too, but everyone in this company can get tempted by the luring of the rings's powers.'' Gandalf answered seriously. '' Promise me that you will be ready and alert at every step of your way, Frodo!''

Frodo nodded his head silently in answer to the Istari's guestion, just as Gimli's gleeful voice could be heard calling out to them.

'' There are the Walls of Moria!'' were the dwarf's words.

He was pointing ahead of the company in the direction where there was a big pond in their path; but from what they'd heard from Gandalf, there wasn't supposed to be a pond barring their path to the gate.

'' Ugh, I don't know about you guys,'' Sakura spoke with a grimace on her face as she looked at the gloomy, contaminated water in the small lake,'' but I'm not about to swim, or walk across this water. Something about it just raises the hair at the back of my neck.''

'' There is something unwholesome in this water, I agree.'' Gimli commented, staring uneasily at the lake before stepping closer to touch the waters surface lightly with the handle of his axe. He hissed in disgust as his axe came away sleek with whatever contamination was in the water.'' I think we should find another path, Gandalf. If we go down the northern edge and climb the main path we will get to our destination, then we surely will find ourselves at the Gates of Moria.''

'' Why doesn't that make me feel any better?'' Pippin muttered quietly to Merry who was standing beside him.

Merry bit his lip and frowned.'' I think it is because you are scared to go into the mines, Pippin, just as all of us hobbits.''

'' Most likely everyone in this company shows some sort of fear for the Dwarf- mines.'' the younger hobbit muttered back, just as Gandalf said:'' Yes, I agree with you Gimli, but in any case, we cannot take the poor baggage- pony into the mines.''

Gandalf turned to glance at Sam who suddenly looked sorrowful. '' The road under the mountains is a dark road, and there are places narrow and steep which he cannot tread, even if he could.''

'' So in other words, its no place for a pony; even for one as brave as old Bill.'' Sam choked out, petting the beast on the side of it's neck.

'' I'm sorry it will come to this, Sam.'' Gandalf said, looking down at the blond gardener with a sad look in his blue eyes.

'' Please say no more, Gandalf! Lets just go find that path, before I loose myself to tears completely.'' Sam choked out as he turned away from Gandalf, when he felt the small drops of salty water stinging behind his eyelids.

'' Alright!'' Gandalf sighed, before turning to the rest of the company. '' Let's head off, everyone!''

And off they went with Gimli walking ahead of the Fellowship as usual with Gandalf and Frodo trudging along behind him. Next came Sam, Bill, Merry and Pippin; then Aragorn and Boromir.

Legolas followed after the two men after a brief discussion with Kakashi who told the elf that he wanted to talk to his former students privately.

Legolas nodded and allowed the masked ninja to take the back of the line.

'' So, what was it that you wanted to talk to us about, Kakashi- sensei?'' Sakura asked as she and Naruto trudged forward alongside their sensei.

'' Because I wanted to know if either of you sensed anything unnatural about this lake.'' Kakashi spoke in a hushed tone.

'' I sensed that there was something within that lake that could be a possible danger to everyone in the Fellowship.'' Sakura answered in a whisper.'' If we had tried to swim across those waters, we would have been in trouble for sure.''

'' I sensed something, too.'' Naruto joined in on the conversation. '' I don't know what the heck it was, but its a live creature of some kind.''

'' Those were exactly my thoughts.'' Kakashi muttered with a frown visible through his black mask.

Hours past and the coldly gleaming stars and moon glinted in the black curtained sky high above, but the company still climbed the slopes. When they finally reached the side of the lake, it turned out that the lake had been three furlongs in breadth in the widest point.

They all hurried forward by Gandalf's insistence for they still needed to find the doors of Moria.

A half an hour later, the Fellowship reached the northern side of the lake. There they found a narrow creek that barred their way.

'' So what now?Do we need to backtrack again to find a path, Sakura?'' Sam asked the pink haired kunoichi rather sarcastically.

Sakura shoot a perturbed glance at the blond gardener and the other members of the company shared a glance with one another.

The blond haired hobbit had become very moody after hearing that they would have to leave Bill the pony once they would find the Mines of Moria.

'' I wouldn't worry if I were you, Sam.'' Gimli said with chuckle as he stepped into the dirty water. It soon turned out that it only reached up to the dwarf's ankles.

'' Haha, very funny, Gimli-san.'' Sakura muttered, glaring at Sam and the dwarf.'' Let's just cross this creek.''

And off they went with Gimli having been the first to go across.

Sakura, though, couldn't help but wince when she stepped foot into the green, stagnant creek that was thrust out like a slimy green arm towards the the enclosing hills.

Naruto suppressed the urge to chuckle at his fiance as he walked beside Sakura.

Kakashi walked alongside them on the opposite side of the pink haired kunoichi.

A few small slips happened on the way to dry shore, because there were weeds and sliding, greasy stones on the bottom, but all in all, not much happened until Sam, who had been walking just slightly ahead of Aragorn with Bill stepped foot onto the dry land.

An audible swish an plop were heard out in the center of the lake. The company immediately turned around to find the source of the disturbance in the deep waters.

Kakashi lifted his Hitae-ate (forehead-protector) from over his left eye and stared out into the lake where ripples could be seen forming and widening in the light of the stars.

'' What do you see, sir Kakashi?'' Gandalf spoke with a serious tone as he came to stand by the ninja's side; he knew from the history books involving Tora Akame, that the red sharingan eye could see clearly through the darkness.

'' Its large and has many tentacles.'' Kakashi answered, putting his Hitae-ate back over his eyes again before the Sharingan could sap anymore of his chakra; he had discovered in Imladris, that in Middle- Earth the eye sapped his chakra in larger quantities than in his world. And that could lead to his death if he wasn't careful. '' But I don't know what the creature is called. Looks like some sort of octopus.''

Gandalf shuddered slightly.

'' Let's hurry and find the Doors of Moria, everyone!'' he spoke urgently and turned to jog forward.

He was surprisingly fast for someone so old.

The others followed silently behind him.

They reached the dry strip of land between the lake and cliffs; it was narrow and encumbered with fallen rocks and stones.

They followed the road southwards and came upon Holly- trees.

There were more stumps and dead boughs than live trees, but close to a cliff there stood two tall, living trees that were larger than Frodo had ever seen or imagined. The great roots that kept the tree alive spread right from the wall to the water.

'' Well, here we are at last!'' Gandalf commented as he touched the stone wall's carvings. '' This is where the Elven-way from Hollin ended. The holly was taken of the people of that land, and they planted it here to mark the end of their domain. The West-door was made chiefly for their use in traffic with the lords of Moria. Ah, those were happier days when there was still an existing friendship between folk of different races; even between elves and dwarves.''

'' It was not the fault of the dwarves that the friendship waned.'' Gimli pointed out from where he was leaning against the wall of the cliff.

Legolas scoffed at Gimli's words. '' I have not heard that it was the fault of the elves. But I wouldn't put past it, that it had indeed been the fault of the dwarves.''

Gimli let out a growl of anger at the elf's words.

'' Your comment was unnecessary, Mr Elf!'' he spat out furiously.

Legolas just looked down at Gimli with a haughty expression on his face.

Aragorn shook his head at the two of them with an exasperated look on his face; he had hoped that the elf and dwarf would lay off the fighting once the Fellowship had left Rivendell, but it seemed that some ancient grudges involving two very different races were deep and reluctant to go away so easily.

Boromir and the hobbits were looking from Gimli to Legolas with bewildered expressions.

Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi, on the other hand, looked to be torn between laughing or sighing at the arguement.

Gandalf, unlike the three ninja, didn't look very happy at all.'' I have heard both sides of the argument,'' he said, crossing his arms over his chest,'' and I will not give my judgement now. But I must ask you, Legolas and Gimli, to at least try to be friends. The doors are shut and hidden and will not be revealed until moonlight hits its that happens. Therefore we should sort out all the things we need on our journey inside the mountain and what we see as unnecessary baggages; like our winter clothes.''

Sam felt tears prickling at his eyes again as Bill, who seemed to understand what was going to happen to him, nuzzled him on the ear and then rested his head on the hobbit's shoulder.

'' Alright.'' Sam whispered, fumbling with the straps holding the many baggages on the pony's back.

He then handed the baggages over to the others who sorted out the needed food, water, cooking utensils and lighter clothes from the now unnecessary equipment.

When the members of the Fellowship that had been sorting out the baggages finished their job, they turned to look at Gandalf who seemed to have done nothing except stand by the cliff-wall.

'' Well, here we are and all ready,'' Merry said,'' But the doors haven't appeared yet.''

'' The moon is veiled by clouds, Merry.'' Gandalf spoke, gesturing to the sky.'' But any time now it will appear and show us the Doors of Moria.''

The Fellowship turned to look up at the black sky that had been veiled by dark clouds for the past half an hour.

Slowly, the clouds past and the stars and moon slowly appeared from behind the clouds and the light shined upon the grey face of the rock; but for a moment the people waiting silently could see nothing more than the faint outlines by the hand Gandalf held against the stone.

They were like slender veins of silver running in the stone, but they steadily grew broader and clearer until their design could clearly be seen.

At the top was an arch with letters in elvish and the arch was higher up than Gandalf could reach with his hands. Below the arch was a blurred and broken outline of an anvil and hammer surmounted by a crown with seven stars.

The outlines of two Holly-trees, bearing a crescent moon, were carved under the crown; but the most showing detail upon the door was a single star that sparkled with many rays of light.

'' What do these symbols mean exactly?'' Sakura asked with wonder in her voice as she touched the glowing doors carvings; they felt a little smoother than before the moonlight had shined upon the doors.

'' The hammer, the anvil and the crown with seven stars are the emblems of Durin, Sakura.'' Gimli answered as he, too, touched the carvings.

'' And these are the trees of the High Elves.'' Legolas said, pointing to the two trees under the anvil and hammer.

'' And the bright star you see on the door is the Star from the House of Feanor.'' Gandalf spoke up.

'' And the writing?'' Frodo asked as he walked over to the wizard. '' I thought Bilbo had educated me well with the elven-letters, but I cannot read these words.''

'' They do not say anything of importance to us,'' Gandalf answered,'' but the reason you cannot understand the meaning of these runes, is because these runes were used in the West during the Elder Days.''

'' Still, what do they say exactly, Gandalf?'' Naruto asked curiously from where he stood petting Bill the pony' soft muzzle.

'' _The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter_. '' Gandalf answered with a small sigh.'' And underneath it says: _I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.'' _

'' What does it mean by speak, friend, and enter?'' Merry asked, scratching the back of his head.

'' It should be simple enough to understand, Merry. '' Gimli said.'' If you are a friend you speak the password and the doors will open to let you enter.''

'' Yes!'' Gandalf commented thoughtfully.'' The doors are probably governed by words and have no keys. In the older days the doors were usually wide open and doorwards sat here greeting the travelers coming to Moria. And if the doors weren't open, anyone who knew the password could speak it and thus be let inside.''

'' But the words needed to open the door is not recorded in our lore, Gandalf.'' Gimli spoke with a hint of sadness in his voice. '' And Narvi and his kindred have long since vanished from the earth.''

'' But… do you not know the the word, Gandalf?'' Boromir asked with a surprised look on his face.

'' No!'' the wizard answered with conviction.

'' Uuummm…'' Kakashi muttered, turning to his students,'' so why are we just standing here if there's no way for us to get in?'' he whispered to Naruto and Sakura.

The couple just gave him helpless shrugs.

The three ninja were just as dismayed as everyone else in the Fellowship, except for Aragorn who had known the wizard well for several years and trusted his judgement.

And apparently Boromir had been thinking of the same words as Kakashi, for he cried out:'' Then what was the use of bringing us into this accursed spot?''

He turned to glance back at the dark water with a shudder.'' You told us that you had passed through the mines of Moria, but how could you have if you don't have a password to enter the mines?''

'' I do not know the word yet,'' Gandalf retorted, '' but we will soon see! And…''

the wizard's eyes glinted under his bristling brows…'' as for your guestion on wether my deeds are useless, you'll find out if their useless when their proved to be. And as for your other question, I did not enter this way; I came from the east. These doors open outwards, but from the inside you may thrust them open with your hands.''

'' What are we going to do then?'' Pippin asked; he looked undaunted by Gandalf's angry expression and bristling eyebrows.

'' KNOCK your head against the DOORS Peregrin Took!'' Gandalf snapped at the young hobbit. '' But if that doesn't shatter them, and I am allowed a little piece from foolish guestions, I will try to find the opening words!''

Pippin nodded and stepped back from the angry wizard; a slightly shaken expression adorned his face now at having heard such harsh words.

Gandalf stepped forward towards the doors and touched the star upon the door lightly with his gnarled wooden staff.

'' _Annon edhellen_,'' he spoke loudly and clearly,'' _edro hi ammen. Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!''_

The Fellowship of the Ring watched with bated breath but all they saw was the silver lines fading, and the blank grey stone remained unstirring.

Gandalf cursed softly before repeating the words in different order; but despite trying different spells and repeating the first spell in different orders did nothing to help their unfortunate situation.

'' Nothings happening, Gandalf!'' Pippin spoke up, unable to keep his mouth shut.

'' Pippin, HUSH!'' Sakura exclaimed, putting a hand over the youngest hobbits's mouth. '' You shouldn't rile a wizard's anger further now that he already looks close to exploding.''

'' Shakura Ggeroff me…!'' Pippin mumbled over the hand held against his mouth.

'' EDRO, EDRO!'' Gandalf cried, striking the stone with his staff. His actions were proving that Sakura's words had been correct. '' OPEN, OPEN!

Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, the hobbits and the other members of the Fellowship shared a look and a raised eyebrow as they listened to Gandalf repeat the words in every language that had ever been spoken in the West of Middle Earth.

'' How does he know so many languages, Aragorn- san?'' Kakashi wondered out loud.

" That's just how he is, sir Kakashi! " Aragorn stated with a small smile on his face. '' He told me one time that he once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs."

'' You think its true?'' Naruto asked; his blue eyes stared up at the standing Ranger with interest.

'' I wouldn't put it past the old coot.'' Boromir muttered from where he was sitting on the damp ground. '' My father told me that he has been in Middle- Earth for the past three human life-years.''

'' That would make him somewhere over three hundred years old.'' Frodo joined in on the conversation. '' But I think he is older than that!''

'' Probably, but how long do you think its going to take for Gandalf to open the doors?'' Pippin muttered.

"Who knows, Pippin," answered Merry; he was feeling absolutely bored at the moment. "Maybe two… three days and nights. Either way I'm getting bored just sitting here waiting for something to happen."

'' I agree.'' Pippin muttered, looking very unsatisfied at just sitting around waiting for someone or something to find them by the doors of Moria.

He turned to watch Aragorn, whom was taking off the reins from Bill who stood quietly and patiently beside Sam who was petted him with affection.

But then, the wind carried the voices of the wargs in the ears of the fellowship and Bill who started in fear and uttered a frightened neigh.

Sam grabbed hold of the base of the pony's nose and spoke softly and assuringly to him until the frightened Bill calmed himself down.

'' Don't let him run away!'' Boromir exclaimed, standing up quickly.'' We may need him still, unless the wolves find us first.''

SPLASH!

Everyone turned at the sound of something splashing into the dirty, dark water of the lake.

Pippin, who had become too bored to sit still, had thrown a large rock into the lake to pass the time. The stone had vanished with a soft splash beneath the surface.

The brown haired hobbit was about to throw another one, when Aragorn quickly strode forward and swiftly grabbed the hobbit's small hand.

"Do not disturb the water!" the Ranger exclaimed with a stern voice.

" Yeah, Pippin, why did you do that anyway?" Boromir exclaimed angrily.'' I hate this foul place but you don't see me throwing rocks at it due to boredom.''

'' Pippin, please don't do that again!'' Sakura exclaimed as she stood up quickly and peered into the middle of the lake when spotted something something moving on the surface of the lake.

Naruto, too, sprang to his feet when he happened to spot bubbles appearing on the surface of the lake. His sensitive ears had also caught the sound of something diving back into the water.

Great, rippling rings were appearing on the surface out beyond where the lake was at its deepest point; and it seemed, that the resident of the lake was slowly moving closer to the foot of the cliff.

'' Oh, Kami!'' Sakura gasped with a frown on her face.'' Now you've done it, Pippin! The creature Kakashi- sensei had seen with his Sharingan eye now knows where we are!''

Pippin swallowed nervously as he stared out into the lake; Merry, Frodo and Sam were all looking anxiously at the middle of the lake as well.

'' Just great.'' Merry muttered out loud.'' I wish we could get away from this place.''

'' I agree, Merry. Why doesn't Gandalf do something quick?'' Sam spoke up with anxious eyes.

Said wizard took no notice of the anxious whispering amongst the group. He had sat himself on a large boulder with his head bowed in deep thought.

He never even looked up as the mournful howling of the wolves were heard echoing around the lake.

Frodo winced when he saw that the ripples on the water were growing and edging closer to the shore; some were already lapping the rocks close to the shore.

He stood up and walked over to where Gandalf sat on the boulder, staring up at the carvings upon the door.

It was then that he noticed something that the wise wizard had missed.

"It's a riddle." Frodo whispered, not noticing that the movement in the lake was continuing and increasing.

''_Speak friend, and enter._ '' he continued. ''What's the elvish word for friend, Gandalf?"

For a moment Gandalf was silent, then…

'' YOU HAVE IT, FRODO!'' he exclaimed, jumping to his feet with such suddenness that it startled everyone in the Fellowship.'' What an absurdly simple answer for the riddle. But that's how riddles usually are.''

He picked up his gnarled, wooden staff from beside the boulder and said in a clear voice:'' _Mellon! _

Everyone immediately gathered closer to the heavy doors that swung, creaking, outwards inch by inch until they stood wide-open before the twelve companions.

Inside they could see a shadowy stairs that climbed steeply upwards.

The other members of the Fellowship entered the mines cautiously, wary of the dark, forbidden road under the mountains, but Aragorn and Sam stayed outside for a while to let Bill go.

Aragorn stooped down to eye-level with the kind, spotted pony that had been their companion for so long.

He layed a hand on the beast's head and spoke with a low voice.'' You are a wise pony, Bill and you have learned much in Rivendell. Go and make your way to places where there is green grass. Make for Elrond's house, or wherever you wish to go; and take care!''

Sam stroked Bill's nose for the last time and whispered:'' Good bye, Bill. Please be safe.''

He then let go and stood back with a sad look in his eyes as Aragorn nudged the pony towards the direction the Fellowship had come from.

'' Don't worry, Sam.''Aragorn said softly as he nudged Sam towards the open doors of the mine. '' He knows the way home.''

'' What about the wolves?'' the blond haired hobbit whispered anxiously, looking up at the tall Ranger as they slowly walked up the stone stairs.

'' I'm sure he will have just as much of a change of escaping from the wolves as we do, Sam.'' Aragorn said assuringly.

'' I guess your right.'' the hobbit whispered, just as Gimli started boasting about the pleasures they would get to enjoy amongst his kindreds dwelling.

'' Soon, my friends and Master Elf,'' the dwarf was saying loudly, deliberately leaving the elf out of the 'friends' category,'' you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. You will see the roaring fires and taste the fine malt- beer and the absolutely devine meat that is so fine that it almost falls right off the bone! '

'' _Or not, Gimli._'' Kakashi thought, sniffing at the air with his sensitive nose.'' _What I smell is not roaring fires, malt-beer or roasted meat. What I smell is death in these dark mines.''_

When he turned to look around, he could see that everyone shared his doubt, except for Gimli who continued to boast as they walked further inside.

Naruto, who was walking beside Sakura, frowned as he looked around the entrance- hall in disbelief; his sight was as good as a cat's, and it had been so since his childhood because of the Kyuubi sealed inside him.

''Oh, Gimli,'' he whispered under his breath with sorrow in his voice,'' I'm afraid that its been a long time since Moria has hosted anyone. Whatever happened here, it was a massagre!''

'' Naruto?'' Sakura whispered, touching his shoulder.

Naruto turned to face his girlfriend and squeezed her hand.'' Sakura, whatever you do, do not panic over what you will see when Gandalf lits up his staff. ''

He had seen the grey robed Istari put his hand inside the pouch around his hips and pull out a white crystal which he had then imbedded on the tip of his gnarled staff.

Sakura winced as the unexpected, bright light of the glowing crystal shined into her eyes. She blinked for moment before looking around, her breath hitching in her throat at what she spotted before her eyes.

The hobbits, Boromir, Legolas and even Aragorn had been relieved about the light at first, until they saw what lay upon the stone floor and the corners of the entrance; they all gasped in shock.

Gimli on the other hand, hadn't noticed yet.'' This," he was announcing, " is the home of my cousin Balin, and they call it a mine. A mine!"

"This is no mine." Boromir was quick to announce, cringing as he looked around at the rotted dwarf skeletons scattered around the entrance hall. "it's a tomb!"

Gimli's expression changed to one of shock, when he finally discovered the dead bodies of kin.

"No!" he whispered brokenly as he looked around.

He knelt beside one of the remains of a dwarf, whom had been killed by an arrow that had punctured through it's skull.

''NOOOOOOOOOOO!" his mournful shout echoed around the room.

Naruto bit his upper-lip as he heard the dwarf's emotional cries over the death of his kin. He then saw Legolas hold out his hand towards an arrow that had been lodged inside the dwarf's skull and where once there had been a brain.

'' Legolas, what are you…?''

He was cut off when the Mirkwood prince yanked the arrow off and stared at it.

"Goblins!" he announced with disgust in his voice and threw the arrow aside

It hit the ground with a faint clatter.

Aragorn and Boromir immediately pulled out their swords and Legolas set an arrow to the string of his bow.

The hobbits clustered together and looked around the Door-hall worriedly.

Gimli remained unaware of the potential danger around them, and continued to wail in anguish.

'' Goblins!'' Kakashi muttered, as he too pulled out his sword.'' You mean those small, slitty eyed creatures with yellowish- brown skin?''

'' That's what he means, Kakashi-sensei.'' Sakura answered, pulling out two kunai from the pouch strapped to her leg. '' '' That's what he means.''

"We shall make for the Gap of Rohan!" Boromir spoke loudly. " We should never have come here for the goblins to have us! "

Frodo and the hobbits were more than happy to leave as they started to inch backwards towards the large open doors.

'' You don't know if their still here, Boromir, '' Naruto voiced out his opinion, '' so calm down and think rationally now! We traveled all the way here to go through the mountains because we couldn't go through Caradhras, and now you want to go back just because a few little goblins scare you?''

'' Its not a few goblins I'm scared of, Naruto,'' the Steward's son hissed through clenched teeth,'' but the whole colony! The goblins DO NOT live by themselves! They have a full colony to back each other up and there could be up to a thousand LIVING here in these MINES! Now that is why we have to get out of here!

No one moved, so the Gondorian man voiced out his want and need to get out of the mines with a shout of: ''GET OUT, EVERYONE! GET OUT!''

The hobbits, whom had panicked slightly at Boromir's words about a goblin-colony, continued backing away towards the entrance when a long, slimy grey tentacle splashed out of the water and snatched Frodo by the left ankle. It then knocked the feet from under the hobbit and started dragging the Ring Bearer towards the dark water.

"Frodo!" Merry, Pippin and Sam cried out as they watched their friend being pulled into the water by the creature's tentacle.

"Strider!" Sam cried out for the Ranger's assistance as he ran to intercept the tentacle's path towards the water.

Merry and Pippin immediately followed Sam and lunged forward to grab hold of Frodo.

'' Get off of him!'' Sam shouted at the octopus- like creature as he hacked at the tentacle with all the strength he had.

The creature screeched in pain and loosened its tentacle's hold on Frodo's ancle and slithered back into the water.

Then…

SPLOOSH!

Eight more tentacles splashed out of the water and slapped Merry, Pippin and Sam aside to grab the foot of the unfortunate hobbit. Poor Frodo cried out in fear as he was pulled forcefully out over the water and into the air.

"Get out of there, Merry, Pippin and Sam!" Sakura shouted as she ran over to the three hobbits standing by the shoreline. She quickly hacked a tentacle trying to grab Sam with her axe.

'' GET INTO THE MINES, NOW!'' she shouted as she nudged them up the stairs.

She cursed as five tentacles flew towards them, but she hadn't needed to worry, for Boromir and Aragorn jumped in to quickly cut off tentacles with their swords and Naruto and Kakashi hacked at the tentacles with their trusty kunai.

And at the same moment Legolas ran out onto the shore and shot arrows towards the beast; the arrows pierced some three-pronged tentacles that were wrapping themselves over Frodo's face.

The creature roared out in agony and withdrew it's limb.

'' DAMN IT! Where is that limb holding Frodo?'' Boromir shouted out as he hacked down tentacle after tentacle with his broad sword.

He was terrified to see poor Frodo being lowered towards a gapping maw that had appeared out of the water. The the creature looked like some sort of ancient kraken with glistening fish-like eyes, gills and sharp fangs that were longer than Strider's arms.

'' JUST KEEP ON CUTTING, BOROMIR!'' Aragorn shouted.

And indeed, a few moments later the man's sword cut through the thick flesh of the creature's tentacle; the one that was holding Frodo suspended upside-down in the air .

The Ring Bearer yelled out in fright as he fell down like a rock towards the ground where Boromir was waiting with his hands outstretched to catch him. He gave a muffled ''ooff'' as he landed in the man's arms.

'' Everyone, get yourself in the caves now!'' Gandalf shouted as Boromir, carrying Frodo, ran up the the gateway and the stairs to the mouth of the cave.

He was soon followed by Aragorn, Naruto and Kakashi; the three other hobbits and Sakura were already inside the mines.

Legolas stood on the last three steps of the stairs long enough to send one last arrow towards the great water-beast. It hit it's eye, and the creature roared out in pain.

It then withdrew it's long, writhing tentacles.

Legolas spun around to run up the stairs towards the mines, but when he reached the very last stair, the water- creature's tentacles were once again fingering the narrow shore and the cliff-wall.

'' Legolas, Get yourself in the mines now!'' Naruto cried out, as the the elf ducked inside the doors just as the tentacles seized the two large doors and swung them shut with terrible force.

Inside the mines, the force of the impact created a cave-in of falling stones and boulders that dropped heavily from the ceiling.

Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir and the three ninja hurried to usher the hobbits further into the mines to avoid being buried by tons of rubble.

Then, suddenly, everything around them became pitch-black. The startled faces of the Fellowship were instantly lost in the darkness.

'' Well, now we know for certain what was lurking in the depths of that gloomy lake,'' Naruto muttered, his voice completely void of humour as he pulled Legolas, who had fallen to the damp, bone-covered ground when lunging to safety, to his feet,'' with the price of poor Frodo almost being devoured as it's dinner.''

'' I felt that there was something horrible in that lake the moment I stepped foot into that wretched water.'' Frodo muttered; he was still shivering and trembling slightly from the ordeal with the Kraken like creature.'' Where there more than just one creature in that water?''

'' From what I could see, there was only one of those creatures lurking in the dark, gloomy lake.'' Kakashi commented from where he was standing next to his two students.

'' I felt that there was something with an evil presence in there the moment we stood on the hill overlooking the large lake,'' Sakura spoke up in a hushed tone,'' but I never assumed it would go after Frodo like that.''

'' You shouldn't have assumed anything!'' Pippin exclaimed, turning to face the tall woman with a very upset expression on his face. '' You should have warned us all that there was something dangerous in that lake, Sakura!''

'' Well, Gimli did tell Gandalf that we should find another path to the doors of Moria.'' Sakura exclaimed calmly in answer to Pippin's words.'' If we had tried to swim across the water the octopus, or whatever it was, would have already eaten us.''

'' Well, that would have been worse than us being stuck inside the mines, wouldn't it?'' Pippin muttered, nodding his head at the kunoichi.

'' I think the reason the creature took Frodo and not one of us him was because it had only one purpose. A purpose to somehow take the ring.'' Gandalf spoke up, tapping his gnarled staff against the ground a few times.

The light that emitted forth from the crystal showed the members of the Fellowship standing in a circle around him.

Some were very tense and some were less.

The hobbits stood huddled together. Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi were standing very close to the four hobbits for their friends protection. Legolas was standing to the wizard's right and Boromir and Aragorn were standing side by side.

'' And let me make this clear to you all.'' Gandalf said in a hushed voice,'' You must all be on guard as we go deeper into the mountain, because there are fouler things than orcs dwelling in the deep places of the world. The creature we just saw, must have either crept or had been driven out of the dark waters under the mountain.''

Gandalf sighed as he turned his eyes on the huge slabs of stone blocking their exit route.''' The passage is completely blocked behind us and even if some of you hadn't wanted this, the only way out for us is on the other side of the mountains. The sounds I heard echoing from outside must have been falling boulders, and unless I'm mistaken, trees were uprooted and then flung against the gate.''

'' Those beautiful trees?'' Sakura asked sadly, thinking of the large, ancient holy trees that had stood on the same spot for ages.

'' Yes, its really a shame,'' Gandalf said with a small nod,'' for the trees were beautiful and had stood there for so long.''

'' Who cares about the trees, except maybe an elf, wizard and a woman! Fouler things than orcs dwell here you say, Gandalf? And we are going in against my wish. Who will lead us now in this deadly dark?'' Boromir muttered under his breath.

Then he winced at the heated glare Sakura and Legolas threw in his direction for his remark. He hadn't meant to be heard by everyone, but the echoing stone magnified the sound to a hoarse whisper that everyone in the company could hear.

'' I shall lead you,'' Gandalf answered,'' and Gimli shall walk with me if he wishes. The rest of you follow my staff.''

The wizard then turned and walked up the great steps whilst holding his staff aloft. The faint radiance that came from the crystal lighted the path for the rest of the company.

The hobbits gasped as they saw how steep and high the undamaged stairs were. They were also broad and flat at some points and there were more than two hundred steps for them to climb.

When they reached the top, they found an arched passage with a level floor leading on in the dark.

'' Gandalf, could we sit down and rest; and maybe have something to eat while were at it?'' Frodo asked; he had finally shaken off the terror of almost being eaten by the Kraken-like creature and was suddenly feeling very hungry.

Gandalf lifted his staff and peered at the faces of the Fellowship.

Some of them, like Aragorn, Gimli, Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi, were looking wary but resolute while the others just looked wary and even slightly pale. This included the four smallest members of the company, the hobbits, but also the man from Gondor, Boromir, and the elf, Legolas.

'' Very well, Frodo.'' Gandalf spoke up, nodding at the dark haired hobbit.'' Let's sit down on the upper steps since there is no dining-rooms here.''

He gestured to a spot where the ground rouse slightly and a flat rock stood in the middle of it.

Frodo's proposal of stopping and eating was welcomed by all, and so they all sat down on the steps to enjoy a cold, but good meal of tomatoes, sausages and bread. Gandalf even gave them a small sip of the miruvor of Rivendell.

'' It will not last much longer, I'm afraid.'' Gandalf said as Sakura passed the bottle back to him; he shook it slightly to see how much of the liquid was inside the bottle.'' But we all needed it after the horror at the gate. But there is another thing that worries me; we do not have much water to drink since the bulk of our supplies were crushed underneath the falling boulders when the creature at the gates attacked us. Therefore I say to drink what's left of you're water sparingly. There are many streams and wells in the mines, but I advice you to not touch them.''

'' So, that means that we wont have a change to fill our water-skins and bottles until we come down the Dimrill Dale.'' Kakashi commented as he rubbed his chin slightly in thought.

Gandalf nodded in answer.

'' How long will it take for us to reach our destination?'' Frodo asked.

'' I cannot say for certain,'' Gandalf answered thoughtfully,'' because it depends in so many changes. But if we go straight without any sort of mishap or loosing our way, we shall take three or four marches. Its about forty miles from the west-door to the east-gate in a direct line, and the road may wind a lot.''

Sakura had been listening adaptly to what Gandalf, Frodo and her sensei were talking about, but we when she happened to look back at Legolas and saw the very uneasy expression on his face, she decided to speak with him.

'' Legolas, are you alright?'' she whispered as she put a hand on the elf's shoulder.

Legolas sighed and said.'' We elves do not do well inside closed spaces. It is the sky, grass, trees and other parts of nature that we treasure, but we become restless in dark, damp and dreary caves. And the mines of Moria is the worst place to be if you are an elf.''

'' What worries me is that I feel the presence of hundreds of malevolent beings.'' Sakura whispered,'' Their life-force isn't very strong, but there are so many of them that we would be in deep trouble if they were to be alerted to our presence. And… there is another presence; a much stronger presence. I do not know what it could be, but the power emitting from it is enormous!''

Legolas shuddered slightly at her words.'' That would be our worst nightmare, save for the dragons and Sauron. It is ancient creature, ( the last of it's kind), that had been buried deep within the mountains until the greedy, thoughtless dwarves that dwelled too deeply into the mountains freed and awakened it. But hopefully, it wont be alerted to our presence!''

'' And, what is this creature you speak of?'' Sakura whispered with a frown on her face; she was almost shaking at the thought of coming across a creature that was about as dangerous as Sauron and almost as strong as the dragons.

'' A Balrog.'' Legolas answered in a hushed whisper.

Sakura paled visibly; she had read quite a few books in Lord Elrond's library during the time they had been waiting for the day of departure, and one book happened to have contained the whole story of Melkor, the Ainur that had turned to darkness and was later called Morgoth' the great enemy'. She also knew of the Mayar spirits that were turned demon and became Melkor's servants.

'' _Kami, straight from the frying- pan and into the fire.'_' she thought inwardly. _'' All I can hope is that we wont accidently alert it to our presence, because if we do, we will all be in great trouble.''_

'' Should we tell the others about the Balrog, Legolas?'' she whispered, forcing her voice to stay as calm as possible.

Legolas shook his head slightly.'' I'm pretty sure Gandalf knows about the Balrog, and if he doesn't see fit to tell the others of it then we shouldn't frighten the hobbits and Boromir of it.''

'' But should we at least tell Aragorn, Kakashi-sensei and Naruto of it?'' Sakura whispered back.

'' If you see it fit to tell them, then do so, but do it so that Boromir and the hobbits don't hear of it.'' Legolas answered with a small nod.

Sakura nodded thoughtfully to the blond haired elf. '' I'm very sure that like me, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei sense the presence of the Balrog and are probably wondering whom bares such power; but perhaps I should keep this information from Aragorn for now.''

The prince of Mirkwood nodded at her words and moved to take her place on the line as the kunoichi moved to tap her lover on the shoulder.

'' I need to talk, Naruto, but you must speak quietly so that the hobbits and Boromir won't hear us!'' she uttered softly.

'' What's it about, Sakura?'' Naruto said with a bit of worry in his voice as he noticed the slight uneasiness in his fiance's voice and expression.

Sakura took a small, calming breath before saying:'' Its about a Balrog!''

**End of Chapter 13 The Peaks of Caradhras and Dangerous Forbidden Road**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13 Balin's Tomb**

**Chapter summary: What will the Fellowship of the Ring find, when they go deeper into the caverns and passage-ways of the Dwarves? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien**

**...**

'' You have got to be kidding me!'' Naruto finally whispered as he walked beside his fiance. He had been very quiet and in thought since the end of the Fellowship's short ten minute break, after the pink haired kunoichi had finished explaining everything she had heard from Legolas.

'' A creature almost as strong as the dragons is living here inside the mines of Moria?'' he asked a second time, not quite wanting to believe what she was saying to be true.

Sakura nodded silently and looked ahead where the wizard Gandalf was walking in front with Gimli the dwarf by his side, and the four small figures of the hobbits following just behind the slightly taller dwarf.

Legolas, surprisingly, walked right behind the four hobbits.

Sakura probed his chakra and sensed his fear towards the dwarven-dwelling and its current inhabitant.

Boromir walked behind the golden haired Mirkwood elf and he too was radiating great fear towards the colony of goblins living in Moria.

After him strode a grim, silent Aragorn whom looked to be thinking of something private.

Naruto and Sakura walked side by side and their silver- haired sensei, Kakashi, followed right behind them. He was as silent as ever.

'' Unfortunately, yes, but like Legolas said to me, we won't have a problem with it if we do not disturb it. It will never know we are inside the tunnels of Moria if we stay as quiet as the shadows on the walls!'' Sakura whispered back, keeping a firm eye on the faintly glimmering crystal wedged in the middle of Gandalf's gnarled, wooden staff and the blades of Glamdring and Sting.

For now there was no blue light gleaming from the two blades which gave the young kunoichi some comfort, because it meant that there were no goblins or orcs in sight. And yet she knew that their situation could turn dangerous at any point in their march, and kept her well sharpened kunai close at hand.

'' Now why doesn't that make me feel any less worried than I was before, Sakura?'' Naruto muttered tensely as the Fellowship went around a few turns and then went down a shallow slope that continued for some time.

'' You think I feel any safer, Naruto?'' Sakura retorted back as she felt the path level out beneath their feet.

'' And do you think I feel any safer than you two?'' Kakashi spoke up from the back.

Naruto and Sakura shook their heads slightly. The silver haired ninja then turned to look around in slight curiosity as he felt the air grow hotter.

It wasn't fouly hot, though, and at times a cooler air brushed against their sweaty faces.

Naruto, too, turned to look around and blinked as he saw holes where the currents of cool- air were entering from. There were dozens of them and in some of them there were stairs, arches and other passages sloping up or running steeply downhill.

The Kyuubi-vessel felt his mouth fall slightly open in wonder; it was a bewildering catacomb beyond hope of exploring.

'' I don't like these mines at all,'' he suddenly whispered to Sakura and his former sensei,'' but I have to say that I'm impressed at the dwarves for creating these passage-ways, tunnels and stairs using just their brains, strength and tools. And I doubt that anyone knows them as well as the dwarves that once dwelled here!''

He was so impressed in fact, that he failed to notice the others in front of him halt. He ran smack-down in the wide back of Boromir, whom spun around to glare at him. The man from Gondor and Aragorn had switched places at some point.

'' What's going on, Boromir?'' Sakura asked the tall Gondorian man in a hushed tone, but was instead answered by Strider

'' Gimli and Gandalf are having another conversation to which path is the right one.'' Aragorn spoke up calmly.

Sakura nodded in answer to the ranger's words. It had become guite a familiat scene to see Gandalf consulting Gimli whenever he felt that the choice of way was doubtful, but in the end it was he alone whom would make the final decision.

Meanwhile, in the front of the line, Gandalf was secretly reminding himself that it had been a long time since he had last travelled through the Mines of Moria, and that he had to be very sure of which way would ultimately lead them out on the other side of the mountains.

Gimli, on the other hand, was still silently mourning at the deaths of his kin; but he still held a slight glimmer of hope that not all the dwarven inhabitants had deceased from Moria. The mines were vast and intricate beyond even his belief and there could be places for his kin to hide until the danger had passed.

'' Do not be afraid!'' Aragorn said calmly.

The Fellowship had paused on their way again, but this pause was longer than usual.

'' Let them worry, if they feel great need for it, Aragorn!'' Sakura exclaimed back from where she stood behind Pippin.'' Its not good for them to bottle up their feelings!''

'' Why is this taking so long?'' Pippin whispered, peering anxiously into the darkness.'' Are we lost?''

'' I'm sure we will be able to go forward again soon, Pippin!'' Isildur's heir spoke comfortingly, putting a hand on the young hobbit's shoulder and squeezed it gently.' I have been with Gandalf on many journeys, if never one in pitch-darkness. And there are tales of great deeds of his in Rivendell that I've yet to hear. He has led us in here against our fears, but he will lead us out againat whatever cost to himself!''

The hobbits seemed more at ease at the Ranger's encouraging words.

Some time later…

Gandalf finished his discussion with Gimli and gestured for everyone to start moving forward once again.

Aragorn breathed out a quiet sigh of relief; he was glad that his words had been proven true, and that they had such a great guide.

The Fellowship had no fuel nor any equipment to make torches, because in their desperate scrambling towards the doors, many of their essential equipment had sadly been left behind.

And as the company very soon found out, there were many roads to choose from and there were many pitfalls, holes and dark wells beside the path in which their passing feet strode.

And much to the startlement of the hobbits, there were fissures and chasms in the walls and ground and at times a crack or even a large hole would appear right before their feet.

It was poor Sam who almost toppled into a hole before he was grabbed swiftly by the waist and pulled backwards.

'' T-thank you, Naruto!'' Sam muttered to the Kyuubi-vessel whom happened to be the one to save him from a long fall; he wiped some cold sweat off his face.

'' Don't mention it, Sam!'' Naruto answered with a small smile and patted the blond hobbit on the shoulder.'' I just hope there aren't going to be anymore of these surprises in store for us!''

'' Naruto, you shouldn't have said that,'' Pippin squeked out from behind Merry; his brown eyes looked grimly amused,'' for now you have jinxed us!''

Naruto turned to look at Sakura with a raised eyebrow.'' You think I just jinxed the whole Fellowship by saying that '' I hope there isn't going to be any more of these surprised in store for us, Sakura?''

Sakura grinned slightly.'' I wouldn't put it past it, Naruto! With the luck we've had for several days, it could very well come to be that we shall meet more unwanted surprises!''

And indeed, the Fellowship walked upon many holes and chasms. The widest chasm was seven feet across, which meant a long jump for the hobbits.

It took a long time for Sam and Pippin to summon enough courage to jump over the dreadful gap.

'' Rope!'' Sam muttered shakily as he listened to the noise of churning water far below in the hole; it was as if a great mill-wheel was turning in the depths.'' I knew I'd want it, if I hadn't got it.''

He then took a deep breath and jumped over the chasm.

As the journey through mines continued, the dangers became more frequent and their march became slower.

To Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi and the others, they seemed to have been tramping on and on endlessly towards the mountain's roots.

The hobbits, Gimli and Boromir were getting weary but they didn't want or they found no comfort in halting anywhere.

Naruto was straining his sight to keep the hobbits out of trouble whenever a danger occured, and he was low of spirit for staying in the dark and gloomy mines for so long.

Frodo, who walked just behind the grey robed wizard, Gandalf, felt a deep uneasiness creep into his heart. His spirits had risen for a while after his narrow escape from the water-creature and getting food and a sip of the miruvor in his belly, but now it had had also come to notice just how sharp his senses were after he had been healed from the knife- stroke in the sanctuary of Rivendell.

He was also more aware of things that could not be seen and that had made him realize that he most likely could see more in the dark than most of his companions, save perhaps Gandalf and most certainly his friend, Naruto.

The dark haired hobbit knew that the blond ninja's sight was enhanced by the prisoned fox-demon.

Frodo sighed and put his hand to where the ring hung upon its chains. Sometimes it felt heavier and the great weight of responsibility bestowed upon the small hobbit was more heavily pronounced. He could feel the certainty of evil ahead and evil following but he never spoke up to voice his thoughts to the others.

Instead, he gripped the handle of his sword tighter and walked on company behind him spoke up seldomly and then only in hurried whispers..

There was no sound at the moment save for the sound of the fellowships own feet hitting the ground.

And yet, Frodo sensed that there wasn't something quite right. He recognised the dull stump of Gimli's heavy dwarven- made boots, the heavy tread of Boromir and the light step of Legolas, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi; the three ninja could really tread lightly when they wanted to.

There was also the the soft patter of hobbit-feet and in the back came the firm footfalls of Aragorn who took long strides.

**Tap, tap!**

**Tap, tap!**

Frodo tensed slightly and strained his hearing. He could have only been imagining it, but the sound of shoeless feet coming in contact with the stone ground was all too real.

Whenever the Fellowship halted, the feet pattered forward for a little while by itself and whenever the company was on the move, the pattering of bare-feet was constant and hearable.

It had been after nightfall, when the Fellowship had stepped foot into the mines of Moria. Everyone had been walking for hours with only brief halts, when Gandalf came to his first real check. As he stepped over the last flight of stairs he, the hobbits, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas had been climbling ( a very, very long and steep stairs), he found himself standing before a wide, dark arch opening into three passages.

All three passages led in the same general direction, eastwards, but the left- hand passage led downhill and the right-hand climbed up in another flight of stairs. The one in the middle seemed to run on smooth and level, but it was very narrow.

Gandalf looked from one passage to the next with a worried look in his ancient blue eyes.

'' What is wrong, Gandalf`?'' Naruto asked as he took note of the wizard's tense posture. He walked over to stand next to the Istari.

'' I have no memory of this place at all, Naruto!'' Gandalf answered in a hushed tone as he held up his staff. He hoped to find some marks or inscriptions that might help his choice, but there was nothing of that kind of help to be seen.

The other members of the Fellowship looked stunned at what they had heard.

'' Then… what are we going to do then, Gandalf?'' Sakura asked, marching over to where her fiance was standing beside the wizard; her brows where furrowed in worry.

'' I'm too weary to decide now,'' Gandalf whispered, shaking his head slightly,'' and I expect you to be all just as weary or even wearier. The best thing to do in this situation is to halt for whatever is left of the night!''

He gestured to a door on the left of the great arch.'' We shall spend the rest of the night in that room over there!''

'' Gandalf, I sense that the air in left- side passage-way doesn't smell so foul as in the others,'' Kakashi suddenly spoke up quietly.'' You could think about that as we all rest in that chamber, since you are our leader. But I have feeling that the passage-way I just mentioned is the one we should take.''

The Istari nodded thoughtfully to show that he had listened carefully to the Jounin's words, and then led the Fellowship towards the large doors and turned the handle when they had all gathered near the door..

The door opened with only a gentle thrust. Beyond the door there looked to be a wide chamber cut into the rock.

'' Steady! Steady, you two!'' Gandalf cried out as Merry and Pippin pushed forward towards the inside of the room.

The two young hobbits were glad to find a place where they could rest with at least more feeling of shelter then in the open passage.

Naruto grabbed Pippin by the collar of his long sleeved green shirt and Sakura grabbed Merry by the collar.

Gandalf turned to look at the two young hobbits with an admonishing expression on his face.'' You do not know what is inside yet, so let me enter the room first!''

The wizard then stepped foot inside the room cautiously, and the others filed behind.

'' Look there!'' Gandalf exclaimed, pointing his staff at what was in the middle of the room.

There was a large, round hole like the mouth of a great well and there were broken, rusty chains laying on the edge of the black pit. There were also fragments of stones that lay near the edge like discarded items.

'' One of you may have fallen in and would still have been wondering when you were going to struck the very bottom!'' Aragorn spoke admonishingly, putting a firm hand on Merry's and Pippin's shoulders.'' Let the guide go first while we have one!''

As they were talking, Gimli walked forward to inspect the well.'' Hmm… this seems to be a guardroom well for the use of the guards.'' he said.'' But the lid is broken and so we must all take care in the darkness.''

The others, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Frodo, Sam, Boromir, Legolas, Aragorn, Gandalf, Merry and Pippin all nodded at the dwarf's words.

'' It sure is deep!'' Naruto muttered as he stepped closer to peer into the well.'' And I can see that there is still water at the bottom!''

'' Let's just get ourselves ready for rest, everyone!'' Gandalf spoke out loud.

The members of the Fellowship were rolling open their bedrolls or had already settled inside the warm comfort of the blankets, or in Naruto's and Sakura's case, snuggled comfortably in each others arms under the the blankets.

'' I hope Gandalf will be able to decide upon the right road.'' Sakura whispered in her fiance's ear as she rested her head against the young man's shoulder; her nose was so close to Naruto's ear that the Kyuubi- vessel could feel her breath brush against his skin; and it felt very soothing to him.

'' I have faith in the old wizard, Sakura!'' Naruto said softly, caressing the long tresses of his lover's pink hair. He then leaned forward to kiss the woman on her soft, pink lips. He ''hummed'' in pleasure as Sakura deepened the kiss and snaked her hand inside his shirt to caress his hard abbs.

Sakura smiled at his reaction and opened her mouth to say:'' I love you', when a loud '' PLUNK'' was heard echoing around the room.

Naruto scrambled into a sitting position so suddenly that he almost cracked skulls with Sakura. '' WHAT IN KAMI'S NAME WAS THAT? '' he exclaimed rather loudly at the same time as Gandalf cried out: '' WHAT WAS THAT?''

Everyone spun around to spot the culprit responsible for the noise.

Much to their surprise, it turned out to be one of their own company. A very ashamed member of their company who was staring back at them with his large, brown eyes.

Peregrin Took had held great interest to the well, and had slowly and quietly crept to the edge of the well and dropped a stone into the hole.

The sound that came many heartbeats later was distant, but magnified and repeated in the hollow shaft.

At the moment he was staring at the other members of the Fellowship whom were staring at him in disbelief with a sheepish expression on his face.

'' FOOL OF A TOOK!'' Gandalf growled, as Kakashi slipped his kunai back into his weapon- pouch and Boromir put away his sword; Gimli had already set his axe against the wall.

The wizard had been relieved to find out that the cause of the disturbance was only Pippin, but he was also angry. His eyes glinted dangerously.'' This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking- party! Throw yourself in next time and rid us off your stupidity!''

Pippin lowered his head and looked down at the stone floor with a flustered look on his face.

Everything was quiet for a while, but them faint knocks could be heard coming from the depths of the well.

**_Tom- tap!_**

**_Tap-tom!_**

The knocking stopped and the echoing disappeared into nothingness. Then the tapping was suddenly repeated.

**_Tom-tap!_**

**_Tap- tom! Tap-tap tom!_**

It sounded disquietingly like signals of some sort, but after a while the knocking died away and was not heard again.

'' The sound of a hammer!'' Naruto uttered in a hushed tone and gripped Sakura's shoulder a little tighter, though not strong enough to hurt her.

'' Yes it was indeed.'' Gimli spoke with a frown on his bearded face.'' I've heard the sound of a hammer too many times in my life to never doubt what I've heard!''

'' It may have nothing to do with Pippin's foolish stone, but there may have been something in the depths of the mines that was disturbed, and I do not like it!''Gandalf said, throwing a hard look at Pippin and was glad to see the ashamed expression on the hobbit's face.

'' You know, it wasn't the stone that was foolish. It was the hobbit's!'' Kakashi pointed out with a small grin as he tried to lighten up the mood for Pippin's sake.

It didn't work.

Gandalf turned his glare upon the black- masked ninja whom grinned back at him sheepishly.

'' Now,'' the wizard continued, shaking off Kakashi's rather pointless remark,'' let us try to rest without anymore trouble. And you, Pippin, shall take the first watch as a reward for your foolishness!''

Pippin sat by the door in pitch-darkness. He kept turning around, fearing that some unknown, drenched thing would climb out of the well and pull him down into where the water was. He wished there was something he could cover up the well with, even a blanket, but he was afraid of how Gandalf would act if he found him creeping towards the hole.

However, Gandalf was actually wide awake. He lay on the floor silently and very still as he recalled the memory of his former journey through the mines and anxiously concidering the next course that the Fellowship could take that wouldn't end in disaster.

After an hour of useless pondering, he finally rose and walked over to Pippin who was diligently doing his job as a watch-man.

The hobbit turned to look up at the wizard with a guestioning look in his tired eyes.

'' You might as well go into a corner and sleep, my lad!'' the wizard spoke kindly as he saw the exhaustion showing on Pippin's face.'' I cannot get a wink, so I'm letting you off the watch!''

Pippin stood up and gave Gandalf a grateful nod and a pat on the shoulder before turning to walk over to where his bedroll had already been unrolled next to the wall.

Gandalf gave a weary sigh before turning to face the door.'' I do not know what is the matter with me, '' he muttered under his breath,'' but it may have to do with our follower; or maybe its because I haven't had a decent smoke since the morning before the snowstorm on Caradhras!"

**_Tap, Tap! _**

The wizard tensed suddenly as he heard the faint footsteps of some creature in the shadows and as he squinted his eyes, he saw another pair staring right back at him from behind a big rock on the other side of the door.

The eyes were large and almost almond shaped and they glowed in the dark. Its body was small, skinny and its skin stretched over its bones thinly like wet paper.

'' Gollum, so you are here!'' Gandalf whispered out loud; he couldn't have been more sure of it after catching a good look of the skulking being.

'' Gollum?'' a familiar voice guestioned behind the wizard.

Gandalf slowly turned to face Frodo who had crept over to the wizard's bent figure huddled over a shielded chip pf glowing fire in his gnarled hands.

'' Couldn't sleep, did you, Frodo?'' the Istari asked as the dark haired hobbit sat down next to him on the floor.

Frodo frowned as he noticed the glowing eyes in the darkness.'' I knew there were was another pair of feet pattering along behind our company.'' he whispered to his friend.

'' He has been following us for days, Frodo.'' Gandalf said quietly.

Frodo winced at the news.

" He's escaped the dungeons of Barad-dûr?" he asked.

" Escaped," Gandalf answered in a hushed tone, " or set loose. Now the Ring has brought him here. And you know, Frodo, he will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the ring, as he hates and loves himself. Smeagol's life is a sad story."

"Smeagol?" spoke Frodo, shocked to know that Gollum had another name. He turned to look out into the darkness where Gollum clasped his dark, dirty fingers onto a stone. His eyes pierced the darkness as he closely watched the Fellowship and listened to the wizard and hobbit talking about him.

"Yes." said Gandalf, " Smeagol he was once called, before the ring found him; before it drove him mad."

"It's a pity," said Frodo as he looked back in Gollum's direction, with slight disgust in his voice, " Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance."

"Pity?" Gandalf pointed out in a calm voice. " It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many, that live, deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?"

Frodo went silent after these words; he looked down at his hands that rested on lap.

After a moment, Gandalf spoke up.

'' Frodo, do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum still has a part to play yet, for good or ill. Before this is over."

Gollum left his hiding spot behind the rock. His thin body slunked off into the darkness to wait for another change to strike, if he were to get that chance.

" The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many," Gandalf finished softly.

Frodo sat down beside his friend with much sorrow in his heart. " I'm sorry to have acted so coldly, Gandalf. Must be because I'm so worried about the fate of all my friends, the other people of Middle Earth and myself.''

He uttered a weary sigh. '' I wish the ring had never come to me," he then continued, " I wish none of this had happened."

"So do all, who live to see such times," Gandalf said, trying to console Frodo; he leaned forward in a very grandfatherly manner, " but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, as any other world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring. In which case, you also were _meant_ to have it."

Gandalf then turned to where Naruto and Sakura were lying on their bedrolls in each others arms, and then to Kakashi who lay some meters away from the young couple, " just as the three ninja, who have joined us on this journey, were meant to be here too. And their not doing it because we ordered them to; they have come with us out of friendship and loyalty "

Gandalf turned back to Frodo and finished, " and that is an encouraging thought, isn't it."

'' It is, yes.'' Frodo said softly, smiling a little as he watched Sakura snuggle closer to Naruto's side; her head rested at the crook of the young man's neck. '' Naruto and Sakura are like family. Like a brother and sister! And I'm so glad their here with me. And though I don't know Kakashi that well yet, he is a very easily liked person; well once you get used to his strange ways, that is.'' the hobbit added with a grin on his face.'' I'm glad he chose to come with the Fellowship, too.''

Gandalf and Frodo smiled at each other and sat side by side for a while until the dark haired hobbit stood up from the cold stone floor and walked back to his bedroll that had been unwrapped between Sam and Merry.

The wizard and hobbit had been sure, that no one else had heard their quiet conversation, but unknown to them, three pairs of ninja ears had heard that Gollum was following the Fellowship in the darkness; most likely looking for a change to grab the ring from the Ring-bearer.

...

The night passed by and the sun was rising from behind the snow-topped mountains, but those who walked within darkness couldn't see it. It had been six hours before sunrise that the Fellowship had had a change to rest, before Gandalf woke them up from sleep.

'' I have made up my mind.'' he announced as the rest of the company rolled up their bedrolls and gathered up the rest of their belongings.'' I do not like the feel of the pathway on the middle, and neither do I like the foul smell of the opening on the left hand side.''

'' So you have pondered for six hours and have come to the same conclusion as me, that the passage- way on the right is the one we shall go for.'' Kakashi commented with a satisfied tone of voice as he rubbed his chin slightly.

'' So its the one that has the stairs leading upwards.'' Sakura spoke up with an exasperated sigh. '' Wonderful, really! During the last climb, Pippin almost fell of the stairs when he stepped on a loose piece of rock and I had to catch him!''

Merry and Naruto sniggered slightly at the kunoichi's words and Sam and Frodo couldn't help but grin. Pippin just looked embarrassed at the memory of his little tumble.

Another day passed in darkness.

The Fellowship had marched the whole day with only brief rests and were now taking a longer rest inside a great, cavernous, draughty hall. They all sat in a huddle to escape the chill coming from an eastern hall. The hall in which they stopped was vast and there were dozens of stairs and passage-ways all around the group. Great pillars rose in great numbers over their heads.

At first, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Boromir, Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli and the four hobbits had been greatly amazed and impressed by the beauty of the vast halls and towering pillars, when Gandalf had lit up the hall with his staff, but now the vastness of the room emphasized the almost haunting feeling in the mines.

It was hard to believe, that there used to be light and warmth in the halls and great shafts on the mountain's side that lead outside into the sunlight.

'' Its hard to make sense in your head, that a mighty crowd of dwarves dwelt here once for five hundred years,'' Sam said out loud,'' and all of them worked as hard as badgers to build all this we saw right before our eyes; and it was in hard rock, too!''

'' Why did they do all this? Surely they didn't live in these dark holes!'' Pippin spoke up from where he sat next to Merry.

'' These are not holes, Pippin!'' Gimli exclaimed quietly, but there was an underlining of anger mixed in his voice as he adressed the young Took.

His kin had worked long and hard to build this grand city, and to hear the hobbit call it a Dark Hole was offending not only for him but to every one of his kin. '' This is the great realm and city of the Dwarrowdelf, and it didn't used to be so dark and haunting. It used to be full of light and splendour.''

Pippin winced slightly; he hadn't missed the anger in the dwarf's voice.

'' And so it is told in the songs of old.'' Gandalf added quietly.

Gimli then suddenly stood up and started to chant in a deep voice that echoed into the roof.

_The world was young, the mountains green,_

_No stain yet on the moon was seen,_

_No words were laid on stream or stone_

_When Durin woke and walked alone._

_He named the nameless hills and dells;_

_he drank from yet untasted wells;_

_He stooped and looked in Mirrormere,_

_And saw a crown of stars appear,_

_As gems upon a silver thread,_

_Above the shadow of his head._

_The world was fai, the mountains tall,_

_in Elder Days before the fall_

_Of mighty kings in Nargothrond_

_And Gondolin, who now beyond_

_The Western Seas have passed away:_

_The world was fair in Durin's Day_

_A king he was on carven throne _

_In many pillared halls of stone_

_with golden roof and silver floor_

_and runes of power upon the door_

_The light of sun and starand moon _

_In shining lamps of crystal hewn_

_undimmed by cloud or shade of night_

_There shone forever fair and bright_

_There hammer on the anvil smote,_

_there chisel clove, and graver wrote_

_There forged was blade , and bound was hilt;_

_The delver mined, the mason built._

_There beryl, pearl, and opal pale,_

'_And metal wrought like fish's mail,_

_Buckler and corslet, axe and sword,_

_And shining spears were laid in hoard_

_Unwearied then were Durin's folk;_

_Beneath the mountains music woke;_

_the harpers harphed, the minstrels sang,_

_and at the gates the trumpets rang._

_The world is grey, the mountains old, _

_the forge's fire is ashen-cold,_

_No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:_

_The darkness dwells in Durin's halls; _

_The shadow lies upon his tomb_

_In Moria, in Khazad-dum._

_But still the sunken stars appear_

_In dark and windless mirrormere;_

_There lies his crown in water deep,_

_till Durin wakes again from sleep._

'' What a song!'' Sam exclaimed as Gimli sat down on the polished floor.'' I should like to learn it. In Moria, in Khazad-dum.''

'' Well, for me it makes the darkness around us seem even heavier, when you think about all those lamps that once gave light in these mines.''Merry muttered.'' But the piles of gold and jewels interest me. Are there still those lying around?''

Gimli sat in total silence; the song had him thinking of the massagre he had seen by the doors leading to Moria; The massagre of his kin members. He wasn't interested in the piles of gold that may be laying inside the dark halls.

'' Piles of jewels you ask, Merry?'' Gandalf asked.'' Not anymore, for the orcs have often snuck in and plundered Moria. There is nothing left on the upper parts of the mines, but if you are brave enough to dive into deep waters, or search the vaults in the very heart of Moria, you may find some!''

'' I sure don't!'' Boromir exclaimed firmly, shivering slightly at the very thought of doing such a foolhardy thing.

'' I wouldn't go searching in the dark.'' Legolas said, shaking his head at the wizard's words.

'' Would I jump into water that is as cold as ice, when I refused to swim across that lake?'' Sakura scoffed, rolling her green eyes at the wizard.

Aragorn, Kakashi and Naruto said nothing, but a slight shiver did run down their backs at the thought of them going into the hearts of Moria to look for treasures.

The four hobbits looked rather horrified at even thinking about the deep waters of Moria, since one of them couldn't swim at all and one of them not so well as the two youngest ones.

'' Then if its not the treasures that Balin and the other dwarves came back for, then what was it that they came back for?'' Sam asked the Istari.

'' For Mithril.'' Gandalf answered.'' Another name for it is Moria- silver. Only here could it be found, and now the worth of it is beyond price, for little of it is found in the upper places of the mines, and even orcs don't dare to delve here for it.''

Gandalf paused for a moment, and then said:'' Ah, Mithril! Because it could be beaten like copper and polished like glass, it was a good sales-item among folk. The elves loved it dearly and many used it to make Ithildin, Starmoon, which you saw upon the doors. Its most amazing ability, though, is that it could be made into metal that is both light and yet harder than tempered steel; it also didn't dim, unlike common silver.''

Frodo, who sat next to Sam, twitched slightly and fingered the cloth of his shirt. _'' Did Gandalf really just say that the mithril was beyond price?_ '' he thought silently._'' Just how much worth is the mithril-coat I'm wearing under my clothes?''_

The words that Gandalf spoke next had his heart nearly jump to his throat.

'' Bilbo had a corslet of mithril-rings that Thorin gave him as payment for his good deeds. I wonder what has become of it. It could be gathering dust in Michael Delving Mathom-house.''

'' WHAT?'' Gimli cried, snapping out of his silence.'' Thorin gave Bilbo a corslet of Moria- silver? Such an object was a kingly gift!''

'' Yes, '' said Gandalf,'' I never mentioned it to Bilbo, but the worth of the mail was greater than the value of the Shire and everything in it!''

Frodo twitched again and deftly put his hand under his tunic and touched the rings of his mithril- corslet. He was truly staggered over hearing that he wore something that's worth was more than the worth of his home.

He also wondered, if Bilbo had known what Gandalf had told the Fellowship, and came to the conclusion that such a possibility could have crossed his uncles mind.

After all, the object was very well made and Bilbo Baggins wasn't a simple minded old hobbit!

...

Early the next morning…

'' Well,'' Gandalf said.'' We must go and find the Great Gates before today is over. If we do not find it today,'' he continued, looking at each member of the Fellowship who sat around him eating a meager breakfast,'' we will be left with little food or water. And eventually we shall run out of it entirely.''

'' Then which way shall we take now?'' Boromir asked.'' I do not wish to stay in these dark mines longer than necessary!''

'' I'm not yet sure of our exact location,'' Gandalf answered,'' but if we look about us and find a window, it may give us some lead to the right path!''

Everyone stood up and followed the grey robed wizard through the northern arch. They found themselves walking inside a wide corridor and as they went in deeper, the slight glimmer they had noticed earlier grew stronger.

The light came out of a doorway on the right. The door was high and flat-topped, and held tightly against its hinges. Beyond the half open door was a square chamber.

As the Fellowship entered the dim chamber, their eyes were assaulted with dazzling brightness. It wasn't that there were a lot of torches giving light in the room, but after walking so long in darkness, the dim light felt extremely bright and thus overwhelmed their senses.

Naruto blinked his blue eyes and looked down at the floor of the chamber. His brown boots had disturbed the thick coat of dust that covered the whole chamber floor.

And when he looked up, he noticed a wide shaft that was high up in the eastern wall; the source of the light coming into the chamber.

Blue sky could be seen on the other side of the shaft and as the young man walked over to stand directly under the shaft, he felt the wind brush against his face.

But he wasn't able to enjoy the feeling of wind brushing against his face for long, for a sudden, emotional wail suddenly echoed around the chamber.

Naruto slowly turned around to see Gimli kneeling before a slab of white stone that sat about two feet off the dust filled floor.

When he looked closer, he noticed the fine runes carved into the surface of the smooth stone.

'' Here lies Balin,'' Gandalf spoke softly, having walked over to stand next to the dwarf.

Naruto felt his heart clench in sorrow. Balin, Gimli's cousin, was dead.

'' Son of Fundin. Lord of Moria!'' Gandalf finished softly, closing his own eyes in sorrow for the loss of one of his good friends.

'' He is dead then.'' Frodo whispered.'' I feared that it would end like this, though I hoped that even a few of Gimli's kin had somehow survived.''

Gimli's hoarse sobs still echoed around the chamber as each member of the Fellowship, stepped forward to say their respects for the fallen dwarf- king; even Legolas decided to pay his respect for the perished dwarven king.

Sakura, with tears in her eyes, kneeled beside the dwarf and wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders from behind, to give the young dwarf at least some comfort.

Naruto lowered his own hand on the dwarf's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

The company still stood beside the tomb of Balin, silent and with respect in the presence of the tomb.

Gimli was still shedding tears but was no longer crying out loud, though deep inside, he was.

Then, at length, the Fellowship began searching for anything that would reveal the fate of Balin and the others of his kin.

What they saw in the chamber was horrifying.

Another door was on the other side of the chamber under the shaft, but many skeletons lay on the floor near it; as well broken swords, axe heads, cloven shields, helms and orc scimitars with black blades.

Many cuts were on the walls, which had everyone wondering what or whom could have done such distruction upon the walls. Not goblins or orcs, surely!

Then, Sakura happened to spot something that looked like a large book in the arms of a sitting dwarf-skeleton.

Squashing the queezy feeling in her stomach, the pink haired young woman kneeled down on one knee and respectfully pushed aside the skeleton's hand and took the book.

The poor book was slashed, stabbed and partly burned. It was also stained with black substance that looked like dark blood, thus making it hard for anyone to read the brittle pages.

'' Gandalf, you should take a look at this?'' Sakura exclaimed softly.

Gandalf immediately handed his hat and staff to Pippin and then stepped closer to take the book from the kunoichi.

But even as careful as they both were with the books handling, a big chunk of the pages broke free of the book's spine and felt to the ground.

The Istari gently brushed and blew some of the dust that had settled onto the surface of the pages before inspecting the runes.

'' We must move on, Aragorn.'' Legolas, who had walked over to the ranger, spoke with urgency in his voice. He looked around restlessly.'' We cannot linger long in this chamber!''

'' I think I understand why you are worried, Legolas,'' Kakashi spoke in a low voice as he walked over; he had overheard their conversation,'' for I too sense the cluster of evil presences. But I think its only fair to let Gimli find out exactly what happened in Moria!''

'' This will put all of us in jeopardy!'' Legolas argued.'' Despite it being prudent to let Gimli know the truth to his kins fate, this will endanger our real mission!''

'' Gandalf is still our leader, Legolas.'' Aragorn finally spoke up, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. '' We are not leaving until he says we are leaving!''

The Mirkwood prince breathed deeply for a short while before finally calming down slightly. Then he, Aragorn and Kakashi turned to look at Gandalf who was still glancing through the pages of the book.

'' It looks to be a record of the fortunes of Balin's folk.'' Gandalf finally said.'' Listen to this! _We drove the orcs from the Great Gate and Guard-room. We slew many in the bright_- I think- _sun in the Dale.''_

Gandalf continued to read out loud for some moments before pausing. It was after hearing: '' _Balin has set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul,' _that Gimli finally spoke up.

'' The Chamber of Mazarbul,'' he said. '' is also known by the name of '_The Chamber of Records'_. It must be this chamber we are standing in.''

Gandalf nodded at Gimli and set a number of pages aside and paused.'' Listen to this, everyone.'' the wizard said with sadness in his voice.'' The first clear word I can read is _sorrow_. Then: _Day being the tenth of novembre, Balin Lord of Moria, fell in Dimrill Dale. He went alone to look in Mirrormere, but was shot by an orc hiding behind a stone. We slew the orc, but many more… up from the east up the Silverlode._

'' Poor Balin!'' Sakura gasped out.

'' Indeed.'' the Istari said, shaking his head sorrowfully.'' From these dates you can see, that he was able to keep his title for only a short five years. And their end was cruel, for the last lines say: _They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. Fron, Loni and Nali fell there. The pool is up to the wall at Westgate. The Watcher in the water took Oin. We have barred the gates, but can't hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums… drums in the deep.''_

Gandalf paused for a moment in bewilderment over the words he was reading.

'' _We heard the drums in the deep, when Pippin dropped that stone_!'' Naruto thought inwardly, and swallowed in nervousness.

Sakura felt her breathing quicken slightly; she, too, had come to the same conclusion as Naruto.

'' _We cannot get out._'' Gandalf spoke, then turned the page .'' _A shadow moves in the dark.'' _he continued.

The other members of the Fellowship glanced and shifted around the chamber in discomfort.

Pippin stumbled backwards, still holding tightly to the wizard's staff and hat, and felt his knees come in contact with a wide, stone well.

But it wasn't all.

His ankles had gotten tangled in a metal-chain that was attached to a heavy, stone bucket sitting precautiously on the edge of the wall, without the hobbit noticing the danger.

'' We cannot get out,'' Gandalf read, his eyes widened slightly. Then he looked up to face the members of the Fellowship.'' THEY ARE COMING!'' he spoke, finishing the last line on the book.

Said line had been just a scrawl; like the writer had suddenly been assaulted and had written the last words just before life had left him entirely.

A horrible feeling of dread fell upon the entire Fellowship.

'' _We cannot get out._'' Gimli muttered, shaking a little.'' _The Watcher in the water! _It was that creature that grabbed Frodo at the doors!''

'' It was probably sleeping on the southern end of the pool,'' Sakura whispered out,'' until we awakened it!''

'' Most likely, yes.'' Gandalf said.'' But us finding this room has not been in vain, for I know now where were are. We have to go back to the hall and find the eastern arch that will lead us right, then south and lastly downwards.''

He turned to Pippin, who was still holding on to the wizard's belongings.'' Pippin, please come here and hand me my staff and hat!''

Pippin nodded and stepped towards Gandalf. But as he did, the chain that had tangled around his ankles twisted and went taught.

The young hobbit yelped as he was sent crashing face down to the ground and gasped, when the sudden impact with the stone floor had him bite his tongue and lower lip.

But he jumped quickly to his feet when he realized he had fallen right on top of the wizard's grey, pointed hat.

**CRASH!**

Pippin choked in shock, when he realized what had happened. The twisting of the chain had distrupted the balance of the dwarf-skeleton and caused its brittle neck- bones to snap.

The skull slipped off the neck and fell down into the well with a mighty crashing noise.

'' NO!'' Pippin cried out as the others whipped around with spooked expressions on their faces.'' I didn't mean that to happen, honestly!''

He lunged to grab the falling stone-bucket but was just too late. The weight of the bucket dragged the skeleton down into the well.

**CRRASSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!**

The terrible ricocheting crashing noises filled every cranny of the chamber, causing Pippin to wince at each new wave of noise.

It was so loud that it was a miracle, that it didn't wake the dead.

**CRAsssshhhhh!**

The noise lasted another few minutes until it finally slowed down and stopped.

After the noise finally died away, everyone let a few moments of silence to pass before relaxing their rigid postures.

'' I'm so very sorry about this!'' Pippin squeked in panic, quickly handing the hat and staff to Gandalf before jumping away to avoid being grabbed by the ear by a potentionally furious wizard.

All was quiet, then drums started to pound down in the well.

Gandalf and the others slowly turned back towards the well with startled expressions.

**Boom…!**

**Boom…!**

**Boom…!**

The pounding echoed throughout the halls and caverns of the dark mines, and could be heard through every nook and cranny.

At first it was slow and gradual, then the sound began pounding even louder and faster; like a thunderous heartbeat.

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

Everyone was on alert.

Startlement crept upon his or her face as the pounding kept closing in on them. The malevolent auras could almost be felt by everyone, but those who could truly feel the presence were the most affected.

The Fellowship's battle in Moria was about to commence, and there was no way to stop it, except to follow through with it and hope that everyone would survive to the end of the blood spilling.

"Frodo, your sword!" Sam cried out in a low voice, noticing that the dark haired hobbit's sword had started to glow with an almost haunting blue light.

Frodo looked down to his scabbard and saw the blade glow blue. He drew the blade and stared at it. He hadn't forgotten Bilbo's warning, that whenever the blade shone with a blue light, it meant that orcs or goblins were near.

"Orcs!" Legolas spat out in disgust. He recognised the screeches and shouts coming closer to the chamber of Mazarbul, having heard them so often in his long life.

'' Nani? There are orcs here as well as goblins?'' Sakura exclaimed as her green eyes followed the Boromir whom hurriedly rushed to the doors to have a look outside the chamber.

Unfortunately, he had to pull his head back in a flash when he saw two arrows heading towards his head.

But luckily, the arrows hit the wooden door, not the Gondorian man's skull.

"Get back!" Aragorn cried out to the four frightened hobbits. " Keep close to Gandalf!"

The Ranger then turned and ran towards Boromir who was trying to close the door. Together they managed to push the heavy wooden doors closed.

Naruto and Kakashi moved to stand by each other with kunais held in hand.

Sakura moved to stand right by Gandalf and the hobbits with her heavy War- axe resting on the dusty floor and her back sligthly crouched in a position where she could easily use her upper-body strength to swing at an unsuspecting orc swiftly.

It was one of her own creations that she had come up with in Rivendell; and it was one that worked quite well for her.

"Are you ready, Sakura? Naruto?" Kakashi spoke, staring in the direction of the door.

"Yeah! '' Sakura answered, her voice almost breathless with nerves as she wondered wether they all would get out of the mines with their lives.

'' As ready as we could be on our first time fighting orcs, sensei!'' Naruto exclaimed, glaring in the direction of the door.

Suddenly, a loud, angry bellow was heard coming from the other side of the door.

'' WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?'' Naruto shouted, voicing out the guestion running through everyones thoughts.

Boromir opened the door slightly and peered outside. But as quickly as he looked out, he withdrew his head.

"They have a cave troll!" Boromir answered. His voice was entirely void of sarcasm when he turned to address the blond haired Kyuubi- vessel.

'' They have a WHAT?'' Sakura exclaimed from where she stood beside Gandalf. She gripped the handle of her War- axe tighter, not sure if she'd heard right.

'' Didn't you hear him, Sakura? He said a cave- troll!'' Naruto stated from where he stood next to Kakashi- sensei. He watched as Legolas threw discarded dwarf- weapons to Boromir and Aragorn whom grabbed them and used them to wedge the two heavy doors closed.

It didn't take long for the two strong men to bar the doors and then retreat over to where the other members of the Fellowship were standing in position.

Gandalf threw his pointed hat to the side with a hoarse battle shout and drew Glamdring from its scabbard.

The four hobbits, despite scared and nervous of the situation, followed the wizard's lead by drawing out their small swords and faced the door that was now being pounded from the outside.

There was another hoarse battle cry as Gimli jumped on top of the white stone tomb and brandished his heavy battle-axe.

'' LET THEM COME!" he cried out. " There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breaths!"

The creatures continued to break the two doors. Weapons were being brandished against the wood and slowly the wood started to splinter.

Naruto saw Legolas pull back the string of his Mirkwood bow and Aragorn standing poised to shoot with his smaller bow that he usually used for hunting.

Cursing slightly, Naruto put away his kunais and pulled the bow he had gotten from Rivendell, from where it rested attached to a string on his back.

'' Naruto, what…?'' Sakura was about to ask as the blond ninja grabbed an arrow from the leather holster on his back and set it on the string, but went quiet when she heard her fiance's answer.

'' I know I was truly wretched in archery when I tried it in Rivendell,'' Naruto shouted back at the young woman as he pulled the string back and aimed towards the door,'' but if I can't hit even one orc with this here, then what was the use of Legolas insisting on me bringing this bow along anyway?''

'' Just please don't take any unnecessary risks, Naruto.'' Sakura finally said nervously.'' Don't depend on the bow like Legolas when the orcs break through the doors, please!''

'' I understand your concern Sakura, but even I'm not that foolhardy!.'' Naruto answered through gritted teeth. He closed his other eye and waited, using the abnormal strength in his arms to hold the bow completely steady.

The first clear gap appeared on the thick wood of the door.

Legolas immediately saw his change. He let go of the string and a moment later a shrill cry could be heard through the door.

The elf had once again shown his province in archery, but he wouldn't let that one hit sway him at all. The elf swiftly grabbed another arrow and fixed it to the string.

Another crack appeared on the door, and that was when Aragorn took his change to shot an arrow. Another scream was heard, which was a sign that the Ranger's aim had been true.

**BASH!**

A third and a fourth large crack appeared on the door. Legolas once again used his bow; this time using two arrows which both pierced flesh on the other side of the door.

**TWANG!TWANG! TWANG!**

**SCREECH!**

'' YATTA!'' Sakura cried as three arrows went through the cracks on the door. She had seen Naruto let go of the bow- string. The other two had come from Legolas's bow.

Unknown to the Fellowship, one of the three arrows had struck an orcs eye. An arrow, that happened to have been Naruto's.

For the first time since he started to study the art of archery, the blond ninja had struck a complete bulls-eye; and it had been during a time when it really meant something to the whole Fellowship.

**BASH!**

Naruto had no time to rejoice over his shot, because the orcs took the moment to finally break through the massive, thick doors.

Legolas managed to nail the first orc that burst through the door with its scimitar raised and a strong urge to kill, right in the face with an arrow. Then another, with the amazing speed of his arms and his almost unmatched skill with a bow.

Aragorn threw aside his small bow and slashed an orc with the sharp sword he had pulled out of its scabbard.

Boromir pushed another creature aside with his huge round shield and and then cut open the orcs back as it stumbled to the side with the force of the man's shove.

Gimli slashed another orc across the stomach when it ventured too close to the tomb of Balin. The remains of the orc smashed to the ground and dark blood spilled onto the dusty stone floor.

Naruto ducked under a scimitar blow and slashed an attacking orc deeply on the side with a kunai as he jumped away from it. The orc had no time to screech out in pain, before its head was was cleaved in half by Kakashi's sword.

The two ninja were working as a team.

Sakura shouted a battle-cry, as she stepped forth with her left foot and at the same time brought up the axe in a strong, swinging blow that cut an orc's head off its shoulders.

Then, going with the momentum of the swing, she leaped up in the air to avoid a slash on the side from another orc that was coming for her.

The surprised orc 'urked' in surprise and pain as the kunoichi's heel connected with it's throat.

**Snap!**

The sound of the orc's neck breaking sounded through the chamber, when Sakura's whole weight fell on its throat as she landed; but the sound went unnoticed by everyone else with all the other loud noises in the chamber.

'**HHAAHHH!''**

Gandalf joined the fray with another hoarse battle shout and with him followed the four small hobbits.

Merry ducked under a blow from an orc- scimitar before burrying the tip of his sword deeply in the orc's stomach. He refused to gag in disgust, even when the warm dark blood spilled over his hand.

Sam killed another with a similar move, but Frodo and Pippin were still reluctant to kill. Instead, they dodged all the attacks coming their way until Sakura noticed they were in trouble.

'' Don't think about anything! Just do everything without feelings of regret!'' Sakura shouted at Frodo and Pippin as she cut an orc in half with her axe and nailed another one in the face with her left fist. The orc flew several feet and crashed against the wall before sliding down and leaving a bloody trail on the wall.

Pippin and Frodo stared at her for a moment with wide eyes, but snapped into attention when they were both once again assaulted.

The battle was truly intense and it was becoming fiercer as more and more orcs entered the chamber during the next few minutes. Many orcs had been slewn during the first few minutes of it and not even Frodo or Pippin had been spared from spilling orc-blood.

But even in the flame of combat, Naruto was able to find some humour in the situation, for he had taken note of how much the fighting province of the orcs lacked technique when it was compared to the fighting abilities of the Fellowship.

'' Oy, Aragorn! Wouldn't you say that these creatures aren't that great even when they have strength in numbers?'' he shouted, kicking out with his foot which connected with an orcs throat.

It sank to the floor with its neck broken from the impact.

'' Definitely not good at all in individual skills, but don't get too confident!'' Aragorn shouted back, as he swung his sword across an orcs throat.

The dark blood spewed out of the gaping hole in the artery as the head fell of its shoulder.

**SMMAAASSHHHH!**

'' Ohhh, wonderful!'' Sakura muttered darkly, as she took note of whom had bashed through the door. '' This fight just keeps getting better and better! HHAAHH!

She slew another few orcs that tried to assault her.

The huge cave troll had bashed clean through the thick wooden doors. Every member of the Fellowship turned his or her attention to it momentarily as its hulking figure entered the chamber.

Its skin was grey and very thick, which made it hard for anyone to kill it.

Legolas pulled back the string of his bow and let the arrow fly towards the troll. It struck the trolls shoulder and caused it to bellow in pain.

But the hit caused next to no damage to it. It seemed to only anger it.

The furious troll caught sight of poor Sam whom was standing in its path, and raised it's heavy mace.

'' Aaaahhhh!'' Sam shouted in shock as he ducked under the huge mace that came down towards him. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he tried to crawl away from under the trolls legs, but soon realized that he was in deep trouble when the shadow of the hulking being closed in upon him. He closed his eyes, not wanting to watch the giant foot stomp down on him.

Fortunately for him, Boromir, Aragorn, Naruto and Kakashi had seen the danger.

Boromir, Aragorn and Naruto went for the heavy chain that dangled from the troll's neck and Kakashi ran to Sam, picked him up under his arm and dodged out of the way just as the trolls foot stomped the ground.

It then tried to go after the masked ninja, but the three men holding to the chain yanked it back. The troll roared in fury as it was pulled back and away from its prey.

'' **GGGGRRRRAAAHHHHH!**

'' SHIMATTA (shit!)!'' Naruto cried, letting go of the metal chain as the troll swung back its arm with terrible force.

Aragorn, too, had been quick enough to vanquish his old on the chain, but poor Boromir was yanked off his feet and into the air before crashing back first into the wall.

'' Unnnghh!'' Boromir gasped in pain, as he slid down the stone- wall and rolled to a stop on his already bruised back.

'' BOROMIR!'' Naruto shouted hastly.

He saw an orc go for the kill, as the Gondorian man still lay on the ground on his back, momentarily stunned by heavy impact with the wall.

Aragorn quickly threw a dagger at the orc's throat. It gave a strangled croak, and slid onto the floor dead..

'' Shimatta (shit), that thing is a monster!'' Naruto shouted, pulling the Ranger's dagger from the orc's throat and then helped Boromir up onto his feet.'' How did it come to be the orcs ally?''

'' I think its more of a source of strength for them, not an ally!'' Boromir gasped out, taking deep breaths to his lungs.

Another roar suddenly echoed through the chamber as Gimli's throwing-axe struck the troll's chest. But even the sturdy weapon did no real damage to it.

It went straight for the dwarf and Sakura whom was fighting near the Tomb of Balin.

'' GIMLI!'' Boromir shouted out in warning.

'' SAKURA, LOOK OUT FOR THE TROLL!'' Naruto echoed the man's cry of warning as the troll raised its mace.

Gimli jumped off the tomb right before the mace came down towards him. Sakura dodged and rolled to the side to avoid struck by the flying rubble that came from the troll shattering the lid of Balin's tomb.

And as all this was going on, a frightened Merry, Pippin and Frodo took sanctuary behind a stone pillar.

Gimli cried out in frustration as two orcs came running straight towards him when he was trying to get away from the troll's path, but the troll happened to knock them aside with its mace as it came after him.

The dwarf suddenly slipped on the ash and blood spread all over the stone floor and fell to the ground. He tried to climb to his feet before the massive sized creature was too close, but he kept slipping on the blood splattered floor.

**Twang!**

The troll roared out in pain as two elven- arrows struck him on the shoulder. It slipped and fell onto the remains of Balin's tomb.

'' Come on Gimli!'' Sakura shouted, killing an orc that was coming towards the dwarf.

She then hauled him to his feet and pulled him towards a set of smaller pillars.

They hid behind the set of pillars for a moment to get a breather.

Gandalf killed another of the orcs whom tried to come at him, and up on a ledge

Legolas back-handed another orc in the face with his fist, then turned to see the humungous troll coming straight for him.

The troll swung at him with its heavy metal chain, but the prince nimbly dodged each blow. Then the chain happened to get caught around a pillar.

Spotting his changed to strike, the nimble elf ran up the chain and shot the creature on the head with an arrow.

The creature roared in pain and tried to grab hold of the elf, but Legolas quickly jumped off its shoulders.

Meanwhile, Sam was hitting orcs on the head with a frying- pan; he had lost his sword somewhere in the midst of battle. '' _I… I think I'm getting the hang of this_!'' he gasped out wearily to himself as he spun his body to the side to avoid the attack of another orc.

He then swung his arm and nailed the said orc in the face with the metal pan.

Heaving out a breath of relief, he turned to see how his master was doing, and saw something very worrying.

The cave-troll had abandoned its attempt to kill Legolas and had spotted the skulking forms of Frodo, Merry and Pippin. It lifted it's weapon and swung it down towards the three hobbits.

Pippin yelped in fright as he and his friends dodged the deadly blow that shattered the floor slightly upon impact.

'' Frodo!'' Aragorn exclaimed, noticing the hobbit's predicament. He was fighting harder, more ferociously against the orcs as he tried to get to the hobbits before something bad happened.

'' Frodo! Merry! Pippin! '' Sakura shouted, running towards the pillars of stone where the black haired hobbit was trying to keep the stone pillar in front of him and to be unnoticed by the troll that was trying to find him.

**ROOOOAAAARRRRHHHH!**

Frodo was caught by surprise, when the troll suddenly bellowed right into his face. He lost his balance and fell on his back in a corner.

The troll lumbered around the pillar and found the scared hobbit. It then grabbed Frodo by the ankle.

'' Aragorn! '' Frodo shouted in fear, as he was lifted and dragged towards the troll. ''ARAGORN!''

'' FRODO!'' The man shouted, burrying the tip of his sword in an orcs stomach. He was still trying to get to Frodo in time.

The troll lifted up its mace, but the Ring Bearer, in desperate attempt at staying alive, swung out with his small weapon and slashed at the trolls hand with his sword, Sting.

The infuriated creature uttered a roar of anger and pain as it let go of the hobbit whom fell a short way to the stone floor and landed on his back with a small painful gasp.

The troll quickly reached for Frodo again, but suddenly, Aragorn jumped in front od the creature and grabbed a large spear from the floor. The Ranger then stabbed the troll deeply in the stomach with it.

It didn't fully penetrate its thick flesh,and so none of the vital organs had been hit. But caused it great pain and kept it at bay.

Merry and Pippin, who had climbed up a ledge, were throwing rocks at the trolls head

''**RRROOOAAARHHHH!**

'' Frodo! Aragorn, its gonna swing its arm! Get away from it now!'' Sakura shrieked, jumping over an orc that tried engaging her in battle.

But she was too late.

She could only watch in shock, as the humongous thing swung its arm at the man and flung him against the wall. He collapsed on the floor, with a small trickle of blood dripping down the side of his head.

'' Yaahhh!'' Sakura cried, guiding chakra into her legs. The hobbits standing on the ledge could only watch in shock as the young, vibrant pink haired woman landed on the ledge they were standing on.

And she had jumped at least four meters into the air without any effort.

But she didn't end it there. She swung her axe at the creature's shoulder, and then at its head. Unfortunately, she had jumped on on its shoulder when she had swung at the creature's head, which gave the being a change to strike back.

'' Sakura!'' Naruto cried out, seeing the troll bash his lover on the side with it's massive hand.

The young kunoichi was thrown several feet forwards before she landed on the ground with a '**thud**'.

Cursing viciously, Naruto smote the orc he had been fighting with and ran to Sakura's side.'' Sakura, are you injured?'' Naruto asked with great worry as he helped her sit up.

Sakura shook her head, but gasped for breath a few moments. She then whipped her head around to see Frodo kneeling next Aragorn. The hobbit was trying to shake him awake.

'' I'm alright,'' Sakura breathed out, '' but I'm not so sure of Aragorn! And that troll won't stay like that forever!''

And she was right.

With a great roar, the troll yanked the spear from its stomach and aimed it at the hobbit.

Frodo gasped and dodged the blow, but when he tried to run towards the pillars, the spear was suddenly there blocking his path.

He gasped in shock, when he was flung against the wall, when the troll pulled back the spear.

'' Frodo!'' Sakura shouted, jumping to her feet. Her green eyes widened in shock and fear, when the troll lifted the spear.

**Scrunch!**

Naruto and Sakura froze completely, when they saw the deadly spear now buried in the hobbit's chest. Their eyes were wide open in disbelief.

"Unggggh!" Frodo panted out. He could barely breath from the pain radiating from his chest. He could only stare up at the troll that was growling in satisfaction for managing to kill someone.

"Frodo!" Sam cried out in anguish. He rushed bravely towards his four friends, killing or injuring the orcs trying to stop him.

Gandalf, Boromir, Gimli and Kakashi had been momentarily shocked into a trance, when their friend and companion was struck in the chest by the spear, but now they all faught to get to Frodo whom was swaying on his feet.

Frodo took one last, panting gasp of air, and slowly collapsed onto the dusty floor with the spear sticking out of his chest.

**End of chapter 13 **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien!**

**Author note: This probably isn't the kind of chapter you readers were looking to see after so long without an update. It is very short, and I still have problems with writer's block, so I apologise in advance if the content isn't sufficient. **  
...

A woman with long, slightly curly dirty-blond hair and wearing a comfortable long-sleeved pheasant dress, sat on a chair in the corner of the living-room.

She was silently watching her oldest daughter change from her dress into the attire fit for a Rohirrim Rider under the careful watch of her twin brother.

A sad smile appeared on the mother's face as she recalled all the previous times her brave, somewhat foolhardy children had decided to change places with each other. And she remembered how insistent her daughter had been in asking for such a dangerous favor from her brother whom King Theoden had granted the honor of becoming one of the Rohirrim Riders.

'' Mother.''

Vanora turned her attention to her approaching daughter whom had donned on the last bit of clothing and was now standing before her fully clad in the clothes of her brother.

It hadn't taken long for the young woman to have shed her pheasant dress and put on the men's clothes and armor. She had done it numerous times in the past, after all.

'' Oh, Dalma.'' she said softly, pulling her daughter into a fierce but loving hug. '' My brave little girl. Please be careful when you ride with the other members of the Rohirrim.''

'' Oh, mother.'' Dalma answered. She laughed as she hugged her mother back just as fiercely.'' I'm hardly a little girl anymore...''

But at the sight of her mother's worried frown, she quickly sobered.

'' But I'll promise to look after myself. You just remember to look after my twin and make sure he doesn't do anything idiotic in my disguise.'' she continued convincingly.

'' Hey!'' Akame exclaimed from where he was putting on his sister's loose-fitting dress.'' That goes double for you, little hellion!''

'' Little hellion!'' Dalma commented challengingly as she put her hands on her hips.'' There is hardly any gap between our ages, oh brother mine!''

'' Now, now!'' Vanora said as he stepped in front of the two bickering siblings.

Her lips may have been smiling at that moment, but inwardly she was worrying for the safety of her children. It wasn't the kind of worry that mothers or wives usually had toward their loved ones.

Normally the woman whom had their husbands or children in the army, worried that their loved ones might have given them their last words when they left the house to return to their duty.

But Vanora was fully confident in her loved ones combat skills which had been honed to perfection over the long years by their father. And she herself had become fairly skilled with the blade thanks to her husband's teachings that went back to the day of their one year of courtship.

The reason she worried was the knowledge of the consequences that would come if her daughter was ever discovered to be impersonating her brother.

Middle Earth was a world where men tended to want to protect the woman and thus the opposite sex weren't allowed to learn combat skills or join the army under the law of King Theoden of Rohan.

But there were some lucky families whom were given privilege to teach their daughters how to fight. The Tora-clan had always been looked upon with respect and pride for generations due to their natural adaptation for combat and for their use of Jutsu.

And then there was Dalma's childhood friend Eowyn, sister of Eomer and granddaughter of King Theoden, whom had been granted the honourable title of a Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

And yet, the rule of not being able to join the army if you were a woman still banned the two woman's dreams of becoming respected heroes and protectors of the people of Rohan.

'' Refrain from acting like toddlers when the two of you are twenty-three season changes old.'' she continued admonishingly, putting her hands on her hips as she stared down at her two eldest.

Dalma and Akame turned to their mother with sheepish smiles on their faces; faces which looked queerly alike despite the other being more manly. Even their body features shared a likeness despite Dalma's being softer and more feminine.

Long, straight raven-black hair framed their faces and intelligent dark eyes were sharing mirth at their own playful sibling banter.

But their expressions suddenly turned worried when their mother suddenly uttered a startled gasp. They saw Vanora grab her temples with both hands and start to waver on her feet.

Immediately the two heirs of the Tora-clan hurried forward to grab hold of their mother before she collapsed on the wooden floor of the living-room.

...

A battle for survival was taking place in the deep, dark caverns of Moria, and it had only escalated after the Ring- bearer Frodo Baggins had been stabbed to death by the monstrous sized cave-troll the goblins and orcs had been using as a weapon due to it's sheer size, strength and fearlessness.

The caverns rang with the sounds of battle- cries and dying shrieks and screeches that issued from the mouths of goblins and orcs that were being cut down by the angry members of the Fellowship of the Ring.

The loss of Frodo had made a big effect on the stability of the Fellowship.

Pippin and Merry had put their lives at risk to serve vengeance for their friend's death when they jumped from the ledge onto the troll's back and were now furiously stabbing at it's head with their hobbit-sized swords.

The troll bellowed in both anger and pain as it tried to dislodge the puny tormentors on it's back while at the same time fending off the bigger beings that were slashing it's legs with their sharp objects.

It managed to swipe aside one of its bigger adversaries that had cut him with it's ax, but bellowed out in agony as five of the taller beings cut deep into it's skin with their metals and forced the troll to back off towards the wall of the room.

Then, just as it managed to grab the leg of one of the puny beings with it's searching hands and throw it aside, the other managed to stab deep into the weak skin of it's neck.

The troll drew back it's head in pain as it uttered an agonised roar...

Running footsteps struck the stone floor under their feet...

Then there was more pain, or agony morelike. Agony like no other it had ever experienced exploded in the troll's body as something was run through it's stomach.

The pain was paralyzing and the creature could not move a muscle. Something warm, sticky and wet dripped down it's skin...

A whistling sound cut through the air...

Something sharp pierced the soft skin of the troll's throat, causing a strangled croak to issue from the creature's mouth.

Whooziness soon followed as it became hard for the troll to breath through it's mangled throat.

Weakness struck the massive creatures limbs and it's balance began to falter. It swung back and forth on the balls of it's feet until the suffocation finally started to take its toll on it.

The hobbit that had still been clinging onto the troll's back uttered a startled yelp as he was thrown off by the motion of the creature falling heavily onto the blood dampened stone floor...

**End of Chapter 15**


	16. Chapter 16 'Shame on us, dear sister'

**Chapter 16 ''Shame on us, dear sister''**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien!**

**...**

Vanora's blue-grey eyes snapped open. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she swung her head back and forth. Her brain wouldn't register what or whom was in the room with her.

She flinched slightly as a weight dropped onto her shoulder, but relaxed when she realized it was just her son giving her a comforting squeeze.

'' You had one of you're partial visions, didn't you mother?'' Dalma stated softly as she cupped her mother's hands in her own.

She had seen her mother like this so often in her life that it no longer made her wonder what was going on with her.

'' Yes.'' Vanora answered softly, looking up into her daughter's eyes.'' There was a cavern mostly bathed in darkness, but for the sunlight that found it's way through a small window. The floor was damp from all the blood that had spilt from numerous slain orcs and goblins sprawled on the floor. A huge cave-troll was there fighting eleven companions; two of the smallest beings had jumped on top the troll and were stabbing the creature's head with their blades until the other was grabbed by the foot and thrown off the massive creature. But the troll was finally defeated when two of the bigger beings, one with long pink locks and the other with hair almost as bright as the sun, shoved a spear through the creature's stomach. The spear went so deep the arrowhead came right through the back of the troll's spine.

The mother uttered a long sigh. '' There was also someone with long, platinum blond hair whom finished the kill by nailing the troll's throat with an arrow. The creature swayed on it's feet, with dark blood dripping down it's middle and back, until the suffocation and injuries finally made it fall face down onto the blood dampened stone-floor.''

'' But what you didn't see, was the faces of the eleven companions, right?'' Akame asked. The young man's eyebrows were knit together as he frowned thoughtfully.

'' No, I'm afraid not.'' Vanora stated with a morbid sigh as she brushed aside the long bangs of dirty-blond hair that had fallen over her eyes.

Like always she wasn't able to put an identity to the people she had seen in her vision, which made the gift she possessed more of a curse than a blessing.

The three members of the Tora-clan sat there on the living-room floor for several minutes without speaking anything to each other.

Each of them were trying to figure out where the vision had taken place, and who were the people involved in the battle against the troll.

'' Momma, can we come down now?''

Vanora, and her two eldest children were pulled from their musings at the sound of a shout that belonged to young Eothain. He was the little brother of Dalma and Akame.

Akame immediately put on the brown cloth his sister usually wore on her head. It was a good add to the disguise and it also hid the very different colored hair she and her brother shared, but none of the other people of their village had.

Not even their brother Eothain and their sister Freda.

To complete the disguise, Akame changed his features into that of his sister's just before the door on the second floor banged open and little Eothain and Freda came running down the stairs.

Freda ran straight to her older sister whom quickly scooped her up in her arms. The little girl immediately threw her small arms around Dalma's neck and buried her adorable face in her sibling's shoulder; honestly believing that it was her older brother she was saying goodbye to.

But Eothain, whom had run down the stairs with his sister, stopped his forward motion when he reached his mother and older brother, (whom had disguised his true form).

'' How long are you, mother and Dalma going to keep lying to Freda?'' Eothain asked quietly so that his eight year old sister wouldn't overhear his words.

'' What are you implying? '' Akame exclaimed in a slightly startled voice as he glanced down at his little brother.

'' Don't even try to deny the truth, brother.'' Eothain said angrily with a frown marring his young face.

He glanced up at Akame from the corner of his eyes; eyes that for just a moment glowed a vibrant red. Like the essence of the red substance that kept every human alive. Human blood.

'' Sharingan!'' Akame breathed out as he looked into his little brother's eyes that had beheld the gift that only people of the Tora-clan could possess, but not all of them had.

His twin sister hadn't been able to unlock the Sharingan, but that didn't mean she was incapable of giving it to her children if she were to ever have them in the future. The Sharingan was in her genes.

But Eothain, his nine year-old brother had somehow managed to unlock his bloodline-limit at an even younger age than his older brother whom had done it at the age of ten.

The blood-red eyes made Eothain seem older than he truly was.

'' You are not Dalma. You are Akame in disguise.'' the boy said quietly.'' So why is she dressed in you're armor and taking you're place in the army?''

'' She...'' Akame spoke hesitantly. He was somewhat unnerved by the betrayed look in Eothain's eyes.'' You know how the rules work against her sex, don't you? She wanted a change to live here dreams as a respected hero and protector of the people.''

'' And so you haven't realized you're own stupidity.'' Eothain stated in that voice which showed his unhappiness of having been lied to for years.'' She has been chipping you're pride to pieces by asking you to consent to this treachery towards King Theoden. No matter how honorable it may be to serve our country, she should know her place as a woman. ''

The boy stopped talking for a moment before saying:'' You and mother should stop encouraging her to continue with this lie. It is not right to betray the trust of our King.''

Silence followed soon after Eothain finished what he had to say. And it stayed thus for several minutes. A whole ten minutes time.

Akame stood there silently, his head lowered slightly in shame.

His brother had sounded twice his age when he had pointed out those gaping flaws of thinking he had been displaying to his littlest siblings for years. And it had been done without them knowing about it until now when Eothain's Sharingan eyes had been unlocked.

When he looked over at his twin-sister dressed in that armor and helmet he should have been wearing that moment, he suddenly had a strong urge to walk over to where she was saying goodbye to little Freda, and slap Dalma across the face for having somehow kept him agreed to such a farse.

King Theoden had given him the title of a Rohirrim-Rider and he had been living a lie for three years since that day.

Yes, this would be the last time he allowed his twin to dress in his disguise and ride off into danger as a Rohirrim-Rider.

He loved his sister dearly and wanted her to be happy in life, but the lies they had been keeping from their friends and companions were not something to be proud of.

And the playful bantering they had showed towards each other earlier shouldn't have even happened. They shouldn't have been so carefree when they had uttered those words to each other.

She had to learn the truth of her shameful actions once she would return. And she would have to live with the truth from that day on.

**End of Chapter 16**


	17. Chapter 17 The Balrog, Demon From The An

**Chapter 17 The Balrog, Demon From The Ancient World**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien!**

**********No money is made out of this story**!

**...**

_'' Why break our earlier fellowship and let you leave on this dangerous journey without your friends to back you up?'' Naruto spoke with a grin. '' I'll protect you, Frodo.''_

_'' The people going with you may get injured at some point.'' Sakura spoke with a soft smile, '' And so might you, Frodo. Therefore I won't let you go on this journey without me.''_

_'' Thank you Naruto and Sakura.'' Frodo whispered as tears of joy stung at his eyes at having four of the closest people he knew, going with him on the long arduous journey to the land of Mordor._

_''Thank you thank you thank you thankthank you thank...!''_

_..._

Naruto gritted his teeth as the feeling of failure became almost overwhelming to him.

His thoughts kept flashbacking to the day of Lord Elrond's Council and to the moment Sakura and he had sworn allegiance to their good friend, whom had taken upon himself the very heavy and dangerous burden as the Ringbearer for the One Ring.

The treacherous golden object that needed to be destroyed in order to bring peace and safety to the people living on the many different lands of Middle Earth.

He had sworn to protect him.

And yet his dear friend lay there dead on the cold, blood dampened floor after being hit with the same massive spear the Kyuubi-vessel and his pink haired lover had used against the troll itself.

Something wet ran down Naruto's cheeks as he backed away from the troll that had begun to sway on it's feet.

A quick glance to his left told him that Sakura was also moving backwards from the massive creature with tears running down her cheeks.

Those tears were a telltale sign of what must have been dripping from the blond haired ninja's eyes and wetting his cheeks.

The roar of pain that had issued from the troll's mouth, the moment it had been run through with the spear, had nearly made the two deaf.

Naruto and Sakura had been so close to the creature.

And the warm, sticky blood that had spilt from the gaping wound, gave the young ninja the gagging reflex as it dripped onto their hands.

But the troll's bellows were soon reduced to a gurgling gasp by an elven made arrow flying into it's throat.

The whole Fellowship watched intently as the troll fingered the place where Legolas's arrow had gone through it's throat.

A low, gurgling groan sounded from it's throat as it swayed from side to side on the balls of it's feet, until it finally fell forward onto the floor with a massive'' thud'' and it didn't get up again.

A deep silence fell over the chamber...

The orcs and goblins that had attacked the Fellowship of the Ring had all been cut down and their corpses littered the whole floor of the Chamber of Balin's tomb in odd angles.

The members of the Fellowship standing around in the chamber all turned to look at Aragorn, whom came to with a moan of pain and pulled himself up into a sitting position.

He had been there with the rest of them; fighting the troll. But he had crumbled to the floor unconcious when a dizzy-spell and a sudden sharp pain in his head overwhelmed him. Being flung against the hard stone wall by a humungous cave troll and getting his head banged against it had left some after-effects on the Ranger.

Kakashi moved to help the older man up onto his feet and together they made their way over to where Frodo's crumbled up body lay face down on the hard stone floor.

With his face set in a mask of deep sorrow, the Ranger knelt and took hold of the hobbit's shoulder.

He respectfully turned the Ringbearer over onto his back but was given the surprise of his life when Frodo took in a shuddering gasp of air and started coughing.

'' MR FRODO!'' Sam exclaimed in a joyful voice as he hurried over to where Aragorn and Kakashi were lifting his friend up into a more upright position so that he could breathe more easily.

'' FRODO!'' almost everyone in the Fellowship echoed as they made their way over to the two Hobbits, the Ranger and the Copy-ninja.

Sam, whom was sitting next to Frodo, looked up at the gathering members of the fellowship and voiced out what his comrades were all thinking that moment with a smile on his lips.

'' He is alive!'' the chubby hobbit said happily.

'' But how is it that he is alive?'' Sakura exclaimed as she dropped to her knees in front of Frodo. She was flabbergasted, but at the same time more than joyful that her friend was somehow still among the living.''That spear did most certainly hit him in a vital area! And his chakra disappeared from our senses!''

'' And that one thrust would have skewered a wild boar straight in it's tracks.'' Aragorn commented in, shaking his head in awe.'' And yet you are still here among the living. What a remarkable miracle to happen.''

'' Or maybe, perhaps, there is something more earthly within this hobbit's keeping that we are yet to know about.'' Gandalf commented as he joined in on the conversation. His blue eyes twinkled as he turned to look at Frodo.

The said hobbit had, by now, regained his breath, and had allowed a vain smile to graze his lips.

He unbuttoned the first few buttons on his soft, brown leather tunic.

Everyone who was looking his way sucked in a breath as the wondrous sight of a glittering, sleek sort of armor that at a closer glance was made out of hundreds of tiny rings was revealed from under the brown tunic.

'' Mithril!'' Gimli breathed out as he recognised the silvery substance of the Ringbearer's armor.

'' Well, now we know how Frodo survived that spear thrust.'' Kakashi voiced out his thoughts. A relieved smile appeared under his blue mask.'' Hard as dragon-skin, indeed, that Mithril.''

Sam, Naruto and Sakura, whom were all knelt on the stone floor, reached out to touch the sleek surface of the Mithril-armor.

'' Just thinking, that maybe the Ring was somehow preventing us from sensing that Frodo's chakra was still there. even when he collapsed to the floor and while we were fighting that Mountain Troll.'' Naruto suddenly spoke to the other members of the Fellowship. '' I mean, after I was slashed by that Morgul-blade...''

He shuddered when he remembered the suffering Frodo and himself had to go through on their way to Rivendell all those months ago..

'' The Nine Riders were able to control me through that wound and it prevented me from warning Strider and the others that those awful beings had broken through the gate leading to the Village of Bree.''

He looked up from one member of the Fellowship to the next.

Gandalf, Aragorn and Kakashi all looked thoughtful and grim. Boromir, Gimli and Legolas all glanced uneasily at the Ring dangling from the chain around the hobbit's neck.

Sam, Merry and Pippin all cringed at the mention of the Morgul-blade and the health problems the wounds had given to their two friends on their way to Imladris.

'' That is plausible indeed.'' Gandalf murmured.

Then Sakura unexpectedly gave an exasperated curse as she realized she hadn't even looked to Frodo's injuries yet. She was a medic for Kami's sake.

She put a hand on Frodo's chest and and used her healer's knowledge to diagnose the extension of the damage done to her friend.

And there it was. A dark, deep bruise on Frodo's right side and breast.

The rings of the armor had bitten into the skin despite the thick leather shirt attached underneath the mithril.

'' The weapon did do some damage on our friend, though.'' Sakura said with a frown on her face. '' And I'm honestly not surprised about it. Such a huge creature thrusting a spear in the chest of someone Frodo's size is bound to inflict damage.''

She was just about to bring forth the green chakra she used to heal people when a huge commotion of angry shrieks and the clanging and banging of weapons sounded from the hall.

The goblins were regrouping and were bent on launching another attack upon them.

Gandalf, who's expression had turned grim and worried, glanced at the door where the moving shadows of the goblins could be seen against the faint light shining from the only window in the room.

'' Everyone,'' exclaimed the grey wizard in a grim tone, '' to the Bridge of Khazad- dum!''

Heeding the wizard's order Naruto quickly scrambled to his feet and grabbed hold of Frodo's hand to pull the small hobbit to his feet whilst Sakura did the same thing to Sam.

Frodo stumbled for a moment before getting his feet under control.

Kakashi, whom was already on his feet the moment Gandalf's eyes had strayed to the door where the shadows of goblins and orcs had been seen, moved to assist Merry and Pippin.

The two hobbits were still looking a little dazed and their limbs ached from being manhandled by the humungous troll.

'' All right you two, hurry up!'' Kakashi said to Merry and Pippin as he ushered the two stumbling hobbits in the direction Gandalf was heading towards.

Gimli paused for a moment to glance behind at his cousin's grave where the tombstone had been smashed several pieces by the cave troll.

He felt a tear prickle at the corner of his left eye as he looked down at the axe he had taken from Balin's tomb. The weapon had once belonged to his cousin and had spilt the blood of hundreds of enemies.

And it would do so again in the hands of Gimli son of Gloin.

It was, of course, hugely frowned upon to take weapons from someone's grave in all human, elven and dwarven kingdoms. It was like stripping a proud warrior from his honor. But Moria was infested with hundreds of the filthy goblins and orcs.

And with the heavy stone tomb broken open, it would not have taken long for the creatures to find this beautifully made dwarven made weapon and soil its honor with their filthy hands.

Therefore Gimli had taken it with him. And he would bring more glory to the artfully made weapon and to his cousin whom had crafted the axe himself.

Sighing, the proud dwarf raised his head up and wiped away the tears that had formed in his eys before following the other members of his company.

The door on the other side of the chamber was where the whole Fellowship was heading for, for it took them back to the direction they had been heading to in the first place before Gimli had gotten sidetracked by the White Tomb his cousin had been buried in.

As the Fellowship of the Ring made their mad dash out the Chamber of Mazarbul and towards the Bridge of Khazad dum that was the only path out of the dark mines, the goblins were literally crawling from the shadows of the high ceiling.

And hundreds of them were already climbing down the large pillars like spiders.

The growling, squacking, screeching and screaming that issued from the creatures mouths was deafening as they scrambled to intercept the Fellowship's path to safety.

Naruto grimaced in disgust as his sensitive ears were filled with the noise, and his nose wrinkled as the disgusting, rotting odor wafted from the goblins clothes, skin and mouth into his nostrils.

He readied his kunai knives and stepped in front of the four hobbits whom had stopped just behind him and Sakura.

Kakashi, whom had stopped running when the goblins had barred their passage to safety, had pulled out his weapons and was prepared to protect the hobbits from the back of the group.

Boromir, Aragorn , Legolas, and Gandalf all readied their weapons in anticipation of a battle and huddled into a protective circle around the hobbits; all facing the goblins from different sides of the circle.

The jabbering and screeching of the goblins smote fear into the hearts of the hobbit. And that fear made all four of them pull out their short swords to protect themselves.

They, like the others of their group, anticipated a battle that would end up being very bloody. And very likely end up in their demise if they couldn't find a way to save themselves.

There were so many of the creatures. Hundreds of them with smelly rotting pieces of leather clothing and rusty but sharp swords and knives.

Some of the most eager ones were coming a little too close to the Fellowship, but that was a mistake in their part.

'' SHANNARO!

BASH!

Several of the goblins were suddenly flung backwards the moment Sakura stepped forward and delivered a chakra enhanced punch at one of the goblins.

The creature's sternum, lungs, and heart were pulverized instantly with that one devastating hit.

Several of it's fellow kin had taken a short,abrupt flight when the dead goblin made contact with them. Their flight went straight towards the towering collums the dwarves of Moria had spent so long carving.

For a moment the creatures fell silent and stared at their unfortunate kin that had been flung against the stone collums with back breaking force, and whom were now laying crumpled on the cold floor of the mines.

But even their small brains registed the fact that they had safety in numbers.

The goblins advanced, brandishing their weapons at the fellowship and snarling all the while.

'' Well, that sure didn't frighten them for long.'' Naruto muttered with a deadpanned edge to his voice.

His words made his sensei throw the blond Kyuubi vessel a heated glare from under his blue mask.

'' You think, Naruto!?'' the Copy ninja exclaimed angrily at his ninja-pupil's comment.

Naruto grimaced at his sensei's words. Or his grimace may have been due to the sheer fact that the close proximity of the goblins was once again giving hell to his sensitive nose.

'' WHAT, IN THE NAME OF GONDOR, ARE WE GOING TO DO?'' Boromir shouted over the jabbering of the goblins. The man kicked out swiftly and powerfully at one of the creatures that had wandered too close to him.'' THOSE THINGS HAVE US COMPLETELY SURROUNDED FROM ALL SIDES!''

Kakashi put a hand on Merry's shoulder whilst Aragorn did the same for Pippin. These young hobbits had never before been in the midst of such a battle until they'd set foot inside Moria, and in the face of such an overwhelming number of opponents the youngsters were starting to become very panicked.

Frodo and Sam seemed to be more composed, but still very frightened.

'' W..what are we to do, Kakashi?'' Merry spoke to the masked ninja whom was trying to give him support, even if it was meager in their current situation.

'' For once, I don't think I have much of an answer.'' Kakashi spoke whilst eyeing the blabbering goblins for signs of them trying to get past him to harm the hobbits.

'' I...I was afraid you would say that.'' Merry stated with a shudder. He gripped his small sword more tightly, as the weapon was literally his own lifeline in their peril.

Sakura bit her lower lip while glancing around for some means of escape.

Then, a sliver of hope lightened her heart as she suddenly remembered Naruto using the Substitution Technique when he and Frodo were being chased by the Ringwraith. Gasping, her eyes spun from left to right, and forward. And there they were; a row of screeching goblins standing right in the back of the hall. In the direction the members of the Fellowship were trying to get to.

Not wasting another precious minute to second guess her idea, she swiftly linked arms with Pippin and shouted:'' SUBSTITUTION TECHNIQUE! EVERYONE GRAB HANDS!

The young hobbit gasped at her sudden move and looked up at the pink haired kunoichi with surprise written all over his face.

Around her, Frodo, Sam and Merry linked hands with each other. Kakashi grabbed hold of Gandalf's shoulder and held on to Merry's hand with the other while Legolas grabbed hold of Aragorn's and Sam's shoulders.

Gimli took hold of Naruto's other hand while Boromir grabbed Pippin's other small hand.

'' **Kawarimi no Jutsu**!'' Sakura hissed out after going through the necessary hand-signs whilst holding Pippin's arm firmly against her side with the crook of her elbow.

**POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!POOF! POOF! POOF!POOF!POOF!POOF!POOF!POOF!**

**CLONK! CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!CLONK!**

There was a massive outburst of sounds from the goblins and orcs as they realized that the twelve audible puffs marked the disappearance of their prey.

Instead of of having twelve delicious morsels for them to sample on after they'd killed the humans, elf, wizard and Hobbits the creatures were looking at twelve of their own kind whom were looking just as stunned as they were.

As for the Fellowship, the members not used to having their bodies switched instantly with their enemies, felt slightly disorientated as their feet touched the stone floor in an entirely different spot from where they had had been standing a moment ago.

If it weren't for the two ninja- pupils and one sensei grabbing their hands and pulling them into a sprint towards the door leading them to the Bridge of Khazad-dum, the hobbits, elf, dwarf, wizard and human would have stood frozen in shock at a crucial time.

Which was to make their escape when their enemies eyes were distracted with their kin switching places with the Fellowship.

But they had not escaped far when an ominous, echoing roar sounded from a passageway that had a huge entryway.

**GGGRRROOOAAAHHH!**

The noise brought everyone to a halt; the Fellowship of The Ring that should have taken their escape then and there. And even the goblins seemed very taken aback by the dreadful roar.

''W...what the...?'' Naruto mumbled out. His face had turned pale and his blue eyes were wide with shock.

'' It...it sounded big. R...really big.'' Pippin gasped from where he was standing. His grip on Sakura's hand tightened as fear more stronger than before, crept into his his heart.

Sakura swallowed hard as she nervously tried to keep her body from shaking with fear. She was reminded of the conversation he had with Legolas on the day they had entered the mines

**_''It is ancient creature, ( the last of it's kind), that had been buried deep within the mountains until the greedy, thoughtless dwarves that dwelled too deeply into the mountains freed and awakened it. But hopefully, it wont be alerted to our presence!''_**

**_'' And, what is this creature you speak of?'' Sakura whispered with a frown on her face; she was almost shaking at the thought of coming across a creature that was about as dangerous as Sauron and almost as strong as the dragons._**

**_'' A Balrog.'' Legolas answered in a hushed whisper._**

'' No, it couldn't possibly be that...'' Sakura gasped with dread, putting her other hand over her mouth and squeezing Pippin's hand a little tighter.

**GGGRRRROOOOAAAAAHHHHH**

The second fierce roar that sounded throughout the cavern was too much for the goblins and orcs that had, not that long ago, wanted to overwhelm the Fellowship with their superior numbers.

Screeching and whimpering in panic, the creatures scattered like spiders that were about to be squashed by the foot of something bigger than them.

They climbed up the pillars and hid into the shadows of the high-ceiling.

Soon, the only ones left on the ground were the stunned members of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Their eyes saw an eery, fiery-red light like a huge fire that lightened up the vast, high-towering caverns.

'' What," asked a pale faced Boromir, "is this new devilry?"

The man of Gondor swallowed hard as he stared at the red light and thundering footsteps that were slowly approaching the almost empty cavern the Fellowship were standing in.

A few moments of silence passed between the company as Gandalf closed his eyes and went through all the knowledge he had gained throughout the years in Middle Earth and outside in the Grey Havens where no mortal had set foot in for thousands of years.

As the creature's rumbling incoming footsteps came closer and closer, and the fiery light became brighter and brighter, Gandalf's blue eyes suddenly snapped open as realization hit him like a ton of stones.

'' A Balrog.'' he said with conviction, even as a strong feeling of dread swelled up in his heart.

This was exactly the kind of situation the wizard had feared that would happen on the day they had all decided to enter the dark Mines of Moria.

He could hear immediate sharp intakes of breath from Legolas, Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi, which told the Istari that they had been aware of the creatures existence.

'' _Legolas_,'' Gandalf thought,''_ must have told them about the Balrog at some point on our journey inside Moria. He would have known of this threat.''_

" What... what are we to do, Gandalf-san.'' Kakashi spoke up with a hint of a nervous edge in his voice.

" The Balrog is a demon of the ancient world." Gandalf answered grimly.'' One which powers you will not be able to break without sacrifice.''

His blue eyes glanced warningly at Naruto. He did not want the boy to use Kyuubi's powers against the demon of Middle Earth and risk the boy loosing control. Like on the day, months ago in Bag End, when he had urged Frodo to take the Ring as far from the Shire as possible after it had been discovered to be the one that Sauron sought to find.

'' This foes powers are beyond any of you!'' the Istari continued.'' RUN!"

**End of Chapter 17**


	18. Chapter 18 The Tragedy in Moria

**Chapter 18 The Tragedy in Moria**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien**

**No money is being made from this story.**

…**..**

_'' This foes powers are beyond any of you! RUN!"_

The very moment Gandalf had shouted out those words, the whole Fellowship snapped out of their frightened stupor and took off at a desperate sprint towards a passageway only a yard away.

The others allowed Boromir to run into the passageway first, as he was carrying the only torch they had with them in the mines.

But as soon as the Stewart's son crossed foot into the new room, he was suddenly teetering dangerously on the edge of a long drop.

The torch fell from the tall man's hand and disappeared into the red lava swirling around at the bottom of the chasm.

In his plight, Boromir allowed a very undignified yelp escape his lips as he realized that the stone under his foot was slowly crumbling away as he teetered unbalanced on the edge.

Fortunately for Boromir, it was Legolas and Naruto whom came up behind him a few short moments later and together they managed to easily pull the burly built man from his precarious position.

'' Now that was a little too close for comfort, wouldn't you say, Boromir!?'' Naruto commented a little shakily as he spun around to stop the hobbits from bursting into the room with top speed and perhaps accidentally stumbling over the edge and into the lava below.

'' An understatement of vast proportions, Naruto.'' Boromir said in a tight voice.

''Eh?'' Naruto mumbled out, not quite understanding what the older man had said.

Such speaking manners still sometimes went over the blond man's understanding, as he had never been raised within a high-class family.

'' I mean't...ah, never mind that, Naruto.'' Boromir sighed as he too turned around to assist the company still approaching.

Sam was the first to come stumbling through the opening and was greeted with Naruto dropping his hand on his shoulder and pulling the blond haired hobbit slightly aside.

'' What?'' Sam mumbled but his voice trailed off as he caught sight of long drop into the burning hot inferno.'' OH!''

What else could he have said when finding himself nearly at the edge of a steep drop into a smouldering inferno, other than that exclamation of surprise?!

'' FRODO! MERRY! PIPPIN! SLOW DOWN!''

Boromir's loud shout brought the three incoming hobbits to an abrupt halt.

The three looked down at the lava with shock showing on their faces.

'' WH... WHOA!'' Pippin was able to squeak out.

'' Lead everyone towards the Bridge, Aragorn.'' Gandalf gasped out a moment later as he and the other members of the Fellowship, (which included Kakashi, Sakura,Aragorn and Gimli), made their way over to the rest of the group. '' It's very near now.''

Aragorn hesitated as his eyes went over the company first, and then to the stone pathway over the lava below them.

Even his mortal human eyes noticed the massive gap in the middle of it; one which would be difficult for the hobbits to cross over.

He grunted as Gandalf''s gnarled hand gripped his shoulder very tightly.

'' DO AS I SAY, ARAGORN!'' Gandalf thundered, and pushed the Ranger towards the left with surprising strength.'' SWORDS ARE OF NO USE TO US HERE ANYMORE!''

Aragorn nodded, not wanting to raise the wizard's noticeable ire any further. But his chest still heaved slightly at the shock of having to be on the receiving end of his friend's anger. This hadn't happened in a long while. For a moment he had questioned his friend's knowledge of how dangerous their situation actually was, but no longer would he doubt it after seeing Gandalf lash out at him so heatedly.

''Everyone,'' the Ranger spoke up firmly,'' let us hurry up and reach the bridge before the demon gets there first and cuts us off!''

Sakura winced at the word demon and quickly glanced at her boyfriend.

But there was no outward sign on her boyfriend's face that told that he had reacted to the word in any way. Instead, he ushered their hobbit friends forward with gentle nudges on the back. He then turned to his pink haired girlfriend and took hold of her smaller, womanly hand.

He paused, looking straight into Sakura's green eyes with an expression that the kunoichi had seen so often appear on the young man's face.

It was the look of someone whom was willing to go through hell and back in order to protect those closest to them.

Tears prickled in Sakura's eyes as Naruto pulled her towards the stone outcrop leading to the zig-zagging stairs that went all the way down to the door. '' Why does he always have to be determined to protect those he cares about.'' Sakura thought as he allowed herself to be pulled forward.'' Naruto, you are such an idiot sometimes.''

…..

Almost everyone in the company had their hearts in their throat as they edged their way forward along the outcrop with only forty centimeters of stone separating them from a steep fall into the smouldering pit.

But when they got to the end of the narrow outcrop their going became easy enough that they were able to pick up the pace a little.

About halfway down the stairs the company came upon the huge gap that Aragorn had dreaded would give the Hobbits difficulties.

Legolas broke through the rest of the company and leaped nimbly over the massive break in the stone stairs. His feet landed on the on the other side with lightness and ease that only elves and ninja could accomplish.

'' Gandalf!'' Legolas beckoned to the Istari.

Gandalf hesitated only for a moment, when a great roar sounded from the door they'd entered from and the ceiling started to shake and crumble, before leaping across the chasm towards where the blond haired elf was waiting with hands outstretched to steady his friend if the Istari were to stumble upon landing.

**WHHOOSSH!**

Gandalf flinched noticeably as an arrow whizzed past his head ( little too close for comfort) and another struck the rock stairs just a few centimeters from the Istari's grey boots.

Merry and Pippin uttered startled yelps and danced back up the stairs as several arrows flew right past them.

Naruto gave an exasperated curse as he deflected several more orc-arrows with the long knife that Strider had given to him months ago in the '' Prancing Pony'' Inn.

He then reached into his weapon holster with his free hand and took out a kunai.

The Kyuubi-vessel aimed for a short moment and then threw it over the fifty feet gap in the direction where the goblins were regrouping.

There was a pained screech as the kunai-knife struck one of the creatures in the middle of it's chest, making it topple backwards onto the stone floor.

'' Hey there, Legolas!'' he hollered out at the blond haired Mirkwood Prince as he chucked another well aimed kunai across the gap.'' Please help us do something about these squinty-eyed freaks of nature before one of our dear companions looses their footing on these damn stairs!''

Legolas immediately grabbed his bow from where he had strapped it to his back just as another strangled screech reached his elven-ears, and swiftly attached an arrow to the string woven from strands of very thin string and elven hair.

The prince didn't take long in aiming at a target before allowing his three fingers to loosen from around the arrow.

Naruto watched with narrowed eyes as the elven- made arrow flew straight and true over the long gap and struck the forehead of one of the goblins about to let loose one of it's arrows.

The creature uttered a strangled ''urk'' and toppled forward over the edge of the long drop into the smouldering lava-pit.

_'' Excellent aim, like always._'' he silently applauded the blond haired elf-prince.

Merry and Pippin, too, watched the goblin fall with wide eyes, but their staring was broken when a loud crumbling sound from beneath their feet reached their ears.

'' Merry! Pippin!'' Boromir suddenly exclaimed from behind the two, giving the hobbits a heads-up before grabbing the two around the waist and hoisting them up in his large arms before leaping over the gap.

Just as Boromir's feet left the stairs, a huge chunk of the stone broke free of it and plummeted down the several hundred feet.

**WHOOSSSHHH!**

'' Damn it!'' Boromir cursed out as another milley of projectiles rained down upon the three of them as soon as the Gondorian man's boots touched down on the other side of the bridge.

He had to twist his body to the side to dodge a few of the flying arrows.

'' Sakura, you go next.'' Aragorn said to the young woman, gently nudging her on the back. '' And take Sam with you.''

Without protest, Sakura knelt down to one knee so that the gardener could climb onto her back.

When he didn't do so immediately, Sakura turned her head in his direction and said firmly:'' Sam, climb on my back, quickly!''

This time, Sam edged over to her and clambered onto the kunoichi's back. His small arms wrapped lightly around the pink haired woman's neck and his legs around her waist.

'' Hold on tightly, Sam.'' Sakura said to Sam, whom tightened his hold slightly in answer to her words.

Sakura immediately stood up and took several steps back before lunging forward to leap over the widened gap. She flew through the air without any fear, as it wasn't something she had never done before.

Shinobi often leaped from branch to branch in high trees or even jumped from outcrop to outcrop on high mountains and sticking themselves into vertical cliffs with chakra.

But poor Sam was terrified; his eyes were tightly shut and his lips pressed into a thin line

Sakura's feet touched down on the other side of the crevice without any loose of balance, as she had used some chakra to stick herself onto the stone surface and had landed with one foot in front of the other.

**WHOOSSSH!**

'' AH!''

Sam uttered a startled yelp of pain which made the pink haired woman's shoulders tense up. Before she had time to glance at the blond haired hobbit and see the source of his pain, she felt someone lift her friend from her back. She almost lashed out at the person, but relaxed when she saw that it was Legolas.

A whooshing sound from behind Sakura made the kunoichi turn around and see that it was her former sensei that had jumped the gap and had landed on the stairs beside her.

Standing up straight, Sakura moved back on the stairs in order for those still on the other side to have more room for landing.

As she did so he heard Gimli's loud, indignant voice say:"Nobody tosses a Dwarf!"

**S**akura turned to see what the commotion was all about and saw the proud, stubborn dwarf attempt to jump succesfully over the visibly increased gap in the stairs.

'' Sheesh, Gimli no baka(Gimli, you idiot)!'' she thought, shaking her head at the stubborness of his friend when she saw the dwarf manage partially land on the other side.

But his feet weren't in balance and the soles of his feet were beginning to slide down the edge.

Legolas quickly reached out with his long arm and caught their dwarf companion by his long, reddish brown beard.

"Argh! Not the beard!" Gimli called out reproachfully, as something that was attached to his skin got pulled in an unwanted positions.

Legolas just shrugged inwardly as he pulled the Dwarf onto the staircase. '' _It's either your beard or your life, proudful fool!''_ he thought, almost mirthfully.

With Gimli now safe on the other side, it only left Frodo and Aragorn still on the other side.

Just as the tall Ranger and the small hobbit were going to take the leap across, more of the stone steps began to crumble and fall into the abyss.

"Aragorn, look out!" cried Sakura, shocked to see what was happening to their friends.

"Mr Frodo!" Sam shouted as Frodo was dragged back from the widening gap by the scruff of his brown cloak.

"Steady there, Frodo!" Aragorn advised Frodo and lay a hand on the hobbit's shoulder as the two stood before the now even wider gap.

'' But what are we going to do now, Aragorn?'' Frodo gasped out as he turned to glance at his friend with a scared look in his big, green eyes.'' The gap is much too wide for us to attempt to jump across!''

**CRICK! CRACK!**

**CRUNCH!**

The Balrog could be heard moving in the other hall, but though the Fellowship could see fiery light shining from the cracks in the ceiling, the Balrog wasn't trying to get through the small opening from which the Fellowship had entered.

But the creatures heavy footsteps made the stone structures around the mine start to collapse.

**CRICK! CRACK!**

**CRRUNNNCHHH!**

A huge rock falls from the ceiling and smashes down onto the steps behind Aragorn and Frodo.

The stairs couldn't hold the weight of the boulder, making it fall further down into the fires below

**CRASH…!**

This created another gap behind the two members of the Fellowship, weakening the stair's foundation up to the point where the stairs begin to wobble dangerously from side to side.

It also increased the despair that had fallen upon the rest of their companions watching everything from the safe side of the gap.

Pippin and Merry cried out in unison: " Aragorn! Frodo!"

The stairs continued to wobble.

" Frodo," said Aragorn to the scared hobbit, "hold your position."

The two began to balance themselves and the stairs, but even with their efforts the structure was still about to fall sideways…

**CRACK!**

A large piece broke off just on the edge of the stair's bottom structure that had been holding the heavier stair structure up.

This was the moment the Ranger had been waiting for.

"Lean forward, Frodo!" Aragorn commanded.

The hobbit and human shifted their weight forward, tipping the stairs to fall forward towards the safe side of the the divide.

Everyone on the other side cried: " COME ON!" out to them as they anxiously waited for the huge structure to slam against the rock-stairs they were standing on.

**BAMM!**

The wobbling stairs slammed onto the steps with a deafening ''bang''.

Frodo, and Aragorn leaped across to safety where several hands were waiting to grab them and pull them to safety.

Frodo was grabbed by Naruto and Aragorn was pulled to safety by his friend Legolas.

'' Let us hurry, now!'' Gandalf exclaimed with a worried expression on his face. He knew that this setback with the stairs had slowed them down considerably, and that not all of them might not get over the bridge in time before the Balrog appeared.

The Fellowship members turned to run just as the enormous section of the staircase started to fall slowly into the abyss. They heard it, but not one of the twelve ever looked back to see it happen.

…..

The Fellowship finally reached the end of the stairs, crossing onto the floor.

Hot, burning red flames of fire appeared behind them, causing some of the members to pause momentarily in shock.

"OVER THE BRIDGE!" commanded Gandalf, prodding the few straggling members forward with his staff. '' FLY!"

But Naruto stopped right next to Gandalf, whom had been letting the others pass ahead of him.

He was clearly worried about the wizard's safety.

'' Then heed your own advice, Gandalf!'' he exclaimed as he took hold of the wizard's arm and started to almost drag him towards the Bridge of Khazad dum.

But it was then that the Balrog began to emerge from the chasm behind them, a cloak of flame and shadow whirling around it.

"Fly, Naruto!" Gandalf commanded the young ninja. '' No matter what happens on the bridge, you will not try to interfere with what I'm going to do in order to protect the members of this Fellowship! We cannot risk you loosing control again in the way you did in Bag End and Weathertop. ''

He harshly pulled his arm from the Kyuubi-vessel's hand and pushed the young man forwards towards the narrow stone bridge which was crowded with members of the Fellowship running across it's narrow surface.

Naruto looked back, an unsure expression shining in his eyes which had darkened slightly at his friend's words. His breathing quickened as he wavered between saying something to Gandalf, or to say nothing at all.

'' I never said that I don't trust you, Naruto.'' Gandalf said to the young man standing before him with obvious pain in his expression. '' I do trust you, Naruto, but for your own safety and the others I must ask you to heed my command in staying in the background.''

The blond ninja looked into Gandalf's sky blue eyes; eyes which were looking at him without fear and with trust, but also with earnest want for him to do as he'd commanded.

Eventually Naruto decided to do as the Istari had told him to do, which was to run like mad towards the bridge which was their only escape route out of the Mines of Moria.

And after a moment Gandalf, too, followed. But there was a strange look in his eyes as he ran; a sort of expression that told that if it came to it, he was prepared to die that day in order to protect the other members of the Fellowship.

And their Quest to destroy the Ring of Sauron for the sake of everyone living in the lands of Middle Earth.

This in mind, the powerful Istari suddenly stopped running at the center of the bridge and turned around to face the towering form of the Balrog that had set foot on the very start of the structure.

He raised his staff and sword in front of him.

The members of the Fellowship turned to look back when they reached the other side of the black chasm. They couldn't believe the wizard's actions.

"YOU CANNOT PASS!" Gandalf shouted out to the demon, his voice deep and threatening.

"Gandalf!" cried Frodo, taking several steps forward towards the bridge, but was immediately grabbed around the shoulders by Sakura.

" Gandalf-san." the pink-haired woman whispered, keeping a firm grip on the struggling Ring- Bearer's shoulders. She feared for his friend's safety but at the same time she marvelled at this normally very grandfatherly figure whom was now standing before the demon of the ancient world with such an formidable air to him.

A wave of flame spread across the Balrog as it straightened itself into it's whole height. It's arms were raised in a position which suggested it was readying itself for battle with the wizard.

"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Arnor… "

Gandalf raised his staff over his head and as he did so the stone nestled in the very center of the gnarly staff began to emit a very bright light which crackled with energy as it illuminated the bridge.

The Balrog draws a huge sword made entirely out of flames from somewhere in it's person and raised it high above it's head with one hand.

"…The dark fire shall not avail you, FLAME OF UDUN!" Gandalf thundered, his sky blue eyes darkening to a shockingly black color as he stood there on the middle of the bridge, blocking the demon's path.'' GO BACK TO THE SHADOW!''

The demon gave a loud roar at the Istari's words and plunged it's sword down towards Gandalf, but the powerful Istari parried the blow with Glamdring, shattering the Balrog's sword into small smouldering pieces which fell down into the blackness of the abyss.

"Arrggh!" growled Gandalf. He winced at the pain which lanced through his arm like fire.

The Balrog was terribly strong.

'' He cannot stand alone against that abomination! '' Aragorn shouted, pulling out his sword from it's scabbard.

'' Aye, I will help him as well!'' Boromir exclaimed, following the tall Ranger who was already rushing towards the bridge.

'' Gandalf said that swords will not help against the Balrog!'' Kakashi shouted in exasperation.

Rushing after the other two older men, his hands forming the hand-signs for a powerful ''Gōkakyū no Jutsu''(Great Fireball Jutsu), the copy-ninja could only curse inwardly at the two men whom couldn't seem to grasp the information that no materialistic weapon without something that would give it more of a kick, could slay a Balrog

The Balrog began to step forward, brandishing a flaming whip and lashed it about menacingly; the whip emitting loud snaps as it lashed about.

'' GATON GOKAKYO NO JUTSU!'' Kakashi thundered as he released the huge ball of smouldering red fire towards the Balrog towering over their wise Quest-leader.

In answer to this attack the Balrog, almost calmly, opened it's mouth and a ball of black crackling energy began to form out in front of it.

Kakashi paled white under his mask as the huge fireball he had conjured was swallowed by the ball that was no bigger than one of those objects kids used to play games with.

Moments later the black energy had sprouted dancing flames around it; very much like the fire surrounding the Balrog itself.

Th- this can't be good.'' Pippin whimpered, shuddering at the sight of the energy-ball.

'' It... it's not.'' Merry agreed, shaking wildly.

''Oh no.'' Sakura whispered, clapping a hand over her lips while the other still firmly squeezed Frodo's shoulder.

Naruto gritted his teeth and moved to join Kakashi-sensei, Aragorn and Boromir, but that was when The Balrog released the energy ball from it's gaping mouth.

The smouldering black energy flew through the air towards the transfixed members of the Fellowship whom watched the thing's movement in horror.

"YOU," Gandalf yelled as he raised his staff over his head, " SHALL NOT… PASS!"

CRACK!

A loud cracking sound was heard as Gandalf slammed his staff on the bridge, releasing a flash of white light that formed a huge shield in the path of the Balrog's released energy ball.

There was a sharp sound, like lightning hitting ground, and the released energy-ball was blown into hundreds of tiny energy particles which went after the many orcs that had gathered at the scene behind the Balrog. The things screeched in horror as they tried to dodge the particles; but somehow every last one of them found their marks.

The explosion of power also drove the Balrog back slightly.

Crick crack!

The wizard's eyes never lost contact from the demon's eyes as he held his sword, Glamdring in front of him; his trusty staff was now well and truly broken into pieces.

Gandalf glared as the Balrog took a menacing step forward, it's nostrils flaring in anger and fire puffing out.

Then, suddenly, the Bridge of Khazad-dum gives way under the Balrog's massive weight, dropping the creature slowly into the chasm.

"He did it!" Merry and Pippin cheered loudly. The two were almost jumping up and down in excitement.

Frodo and Sam breathed out deep sighs of relief, and smiled a bit.

And the hobbits weren't the only ones relieved

Gandalf leaned on his staff in exhausted triumph for a short moment and watched the Balrog fall into the abyss.

He then turned around to follow the others, but suddenly the tail of the Balrog's whip whirled upwards and caught the Istari's ankle and pulled him down towards the edge of the bridge.

Gandalf managed to grab hold of the edge before he was pulled all the way into the abyss, but ended up dangling very dangerously over the edge of the wrecked bridge.

Pippin's and and Merry's faces of victory had now turned into expressions of despair

Sakura's fingers slackened their grip on the Ring-Bearer's shoulder.

"Gandalf!" cried Frodo as he began to rush towards the wizard clinging onto the bridge and straining to keep his grip on any small crevice on the surface of the bridge,

But Naruto quickly stepped forward to restrain the Hobbit.

"No, no!" Naruto said to Frodo, although he wished he had been there fighting against the Balrog alongside Gandalf, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. But the wizard had commanded him to stay in the background.

"Let go of me, Naruto!" Frodo cried out as he struggled against the Kyuubi-vessel. His eyes were wide with fear for his friend.'' Gandalf!''

'' Frodo, it's not safe for you to go there,'' Naruto exclaimed,'' and you wouldn't be able to pull him to safety.''

'' THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TRY TO HELP HIM AGAINST THE BALROG?'' Frodo shouted, his voice shaking in anger and sorrow.'' STRIDER, BOROMIR AND KAKASHI TRIED TO HELP GANDALF SO WHY DIDN'T YOU!''

'' Frodo, I...'' Naruto started but cut himself off mid-sentence. He didn't really know what to say to his friend. Could he actually say that Gandalf had ordered him to not interfere with his fight against the Balrog? Would he be able to say that Gandalf had feared him loosing control and become possessed by the Kyuubi's instincts like he did in Bag End and Weathertop?

Before he had time to contemplate these things any further, a flash of pink rushed past him.

It was Sakura, running past him and Frodo.

He called her name, but his voice went unheard.

Naruto's eyes followed his lover as she ran past her sensei whom tried to grab hold of her; as well as the Ranger and the son of the Stewart of Gondor whom both stood transfixed a mere foot from the bridge.

He saw Sakura's hands grab a tight hold of Gandalf's long fingered, wrinkled hands and watched her back strain strained as he tried to pull the Istari up from the edge of the crevice.

But even her strength was being tested with the weight of the Balrog.

Gandalf gasped in pain as the Balrog's whip wrenched at his ankle; stars blinked in front of his eyes as pain flowed through his whole body as the Balrog swung back and forth.

His spine felt like it was about to snap.

'' It's no use, Sakura.'' Gandalf breathed out to the pink haired young woman whom was breathing harshly as she tried to pull him back onto the bridge.'' You have to let me go.''

'' Are you kidding me?!'' Sakura snapped out, her eyes flaming as she looked at the wizard.'' Have you suddenly gone mad?''

'' Listen to me, Sakura,'' Gandalf whispered urgently,'' even if you do manage to pull me up onto the bridge you wouldn't be able to break the fire-whip. It's apart of the demon and only death can destroy the weapon.''

'' But the sword...'' Sakura began frantically, her eyes beginning to brim with tears.

'' Was not an extension of the Balrog's body!'' Gandalf panted out in pain. He stared into the woman's crystal green eyes which were filling up with tears.

'' Gandalf, think about Merry and Pippin.'' she whispered out in a choked voice.'' Think about Sam and everyone else in the fellowship. But especially of Frodo; he needs you to guide him through this task he had been put under.''

'' I am thinking about everyone,'' Gandalf whispered out,'' and I know that the longer the Fellowship stays here in Moria the more trouble will occur; the more danger everyone will be in.''

'' But does the solution have to be your life?'' Sakura whimpered out, tears sliding down her cheeks.

'' The power of the Balrog cannot be broken without a sacrifice.'' Gandalf said softly, his heart aching at the look of emotional pain on the young woman's face. '' But my life might not end until the task I've been given has come to an end.''

'' Fight the thing, Gandalf.'' Sakura whispered, her eyes blazing with fury that wasn't aimed at the wizard. '' Don't let the Balrog return to where it had recided.''

'' You, and Naruto,'' Gandalf whispered firmly,'' have to help Frodo with the task that had been put on his shoulders; right from the start when the ring was given to him by his uncle and until a time comes when he decides that he doesn't want to danger the rest of the Fellowship. To bear a ring of power is to stand alone with the task, and there will come a time when he starts to realize it.''

'' Gandalf...'' Sakura started to say, but at that moment, when her hands had momentarily slackened in shock over the Istari's words, the Balrog gave an almighty yank and forced the young woman's grip on the wizard's wrinkled hands to cave.

" TAKE COVER, YOU FOOLS!" Gandalf bellowed out as he was pulled down into the pitch-black chasm.

His body became smaller and smaller as he followed his enemy into the deep, deep of the abyss.

" NNOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Frodo screamed, his voice laced with anguish that he'd never known before now. He struggled mightily against Naruto's hold, but even then he wasn't able to get any further.

Naruto's grip was too strong against his shoulders.

Naruto felt close to fainting himself, but even then he had the wit to maintain his hold on Frodo. He couldn't believe what had just happened.

Their wise, strong leader was gone; fallen into the chasm with the beast that had dwelled in Moria for so many centuries and had been awoken because the Fellowship had entered these now dreadful dwarven made halls.

'' Why,'' Naruto thought, swallowing the lump that had appeared in his throat,'' why did we ever have to enter Moria? Why couldn't we have risked taking the Gap of Rohan?''

But he knew, that not even Gandalf whom had been so opposed to set foot into the ghastly halls of the labyrinth that was Moria, could have predicted such a tragedy to occur.

No one could have predicted the tragedy.

No one...

**End of Chapter 18 The Tragedy in Moria**


	19. Chapter 19 The Aftermath

**Chapter 19 The Aftermath **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the work of Masashi Kishimoto or J.R.R. Tolkien**

**No money is being made from this story.**

**…..**

Sakura could hardly breath as she stared down into the abyss that had swallowed the Grey Istari.

She faintly heard someone shouting something to her, but she couldn't make out what it was that was being shouted. But as she knelt there, something flashing in the corner of her eye made her more aware. Reaching instinctively for the object, she felt the object's smooth, cold surface as it brushed her fingers. She also felt something rough touching her fingertips.

Her hand enclosed around the two objects just as the sound of hurried footsteps, approaching from behind her, reached her ears.

She felt someone pull her up almost roughly and her first thought was to fight against the person, but couldn't bring herself to do anything. She wasn't functioning properly.

It was the sound of deep rumbling coming from below her feet which woke her to the realization that real danger was awaiting her. The bridge was about to collapse.

Looking up at the person carrying her, Sakura saw that it was Boromir whom had slung her over his shoulder.

She squirmed wildly, not altogether happy that the Gondorian man had thrown her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Boromir uttered a sharp grunt as she hit him on the back with must have been a chakra enhanced blow,( she wasn't entirely aware of what she was doing that moment with the shock affecting her).

'' WILL YOU SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU FOOL!'' Boromir snapped loudly in her face as he abruptly dropped her on her feet on the other side of the bridge.

Sakura wanted to cry out in agony as the movement jolted her back which she, only now noticed, was giving her warnings that there was something wrong with her.

**CRACK**

The stone bridge that had stood so long, cracked in two and poised out into into the deep abyss like a tongue of rock had finally come to it's end.

It broke asunder and the pieces fell down, down into the depths that had swallowed the demon Balrog and the brave, courageous Istari.

"ARAGORN!" Boromir called out loudly to their new leader over Frodo's voice which continued to scream in anguish of Gandalf's sacrifice.

Boromir's voice did eventually kick the Ranger from the stupor he, too, had fallen prey to.

'' We.. we must go, Sakura.'' Aragorn said shakily, taking the young woman's arm.

He frowned as she resisted her, pulling away from his hold and wandering over to the edge of the long drop into nothingness.

'' Boromir, you lead the others out of here straight away.'' Aragorn ordered, turning to address the Stewart's son.'' I'll bring her up.''

Boromir nodded shortly at the older man's order before grabbing hold of Kakashi's shoulder and pushing him forward towards the stairs leading out of this place of horror.

Kakashi looked like he was about to protest, apparently wanting to be there for his student, but the man from Gondor was just about at the end of his rope with the lot of them.

'' GET YOUR LEGS MOVING UP THOSE STAIRS, KAKASHI, OR I SWEAR IN THE NAME OF MY CITY THAT I'LL KNOCK YOU UNCONCIOUS AND CARRY YOU OUT OF THESE MINES!'' he roared in the masked man's face, making him jump at the force which his voice carried.

And he wasn't the only one. Sakura, whom was standing out at the edge where the bridge had once stood and Aragorn both winced at the sound of his voice.

Gimli, Legolas, Merry, Pippin and Sam were quick to set foot on the stairs and start climbing up them, lest they would become the next victim to the man's ire.

Naruto, carrying Frodo, was not far behind.

Even Frodo had quietened from hearing Boromir's furious tone.

...

'' Sakura,'' Aragorn said quietly once the two were left alone, ' it's not safe here, you must let go of whatever stupor you have fallen prey to and...''

'' DON'T,'' Sakura cried out, whirling around so abruptly that the Ranger took a step backwards, '' YOU DARE TALK TO ME ABOUT LETTING GO OF ANYTHING! ''

_'' It's no use, Sakura.'' Gandalf breathed out to the pink haired young woman whom was breathing harshly as she tried to pull him back onto the bridge.'' You have to let me go.''_

Sakura's hands were clenched so tightly that they almost bled from her fingernails digging into the skin.

_'' You, and Naruto,'' Gandalf whispered firmly,'' have to help Frodo with the task that had been put on his shoulders; right from the start when the ring was given to him by his uncle and until a time comes when he decides that he doesn't want to danger the rest of the Fellowship. To bear a ring of power is to stand alone with the task, and there will come a time when he starts to realize it.''_

_'' Gandalf...'' Sakura started to say, but at that moment, when her hands had momentarily slackened in shock over the Istari's words, the Balrog gave an almighty yank and forced the young woman's grip on the wizard's wrinkled hands to cave._

Sakura's whole body shook with the effort to rein in her emotions. The words that she had exchanged with Gandalf during his last moments were repeating themselves in her head over and over again.

Her hand squeezed into a tight fist, but only for a short moment. Something sharp had pricked deeply at her palm.

**Tip, tip, tip...**

She looked down to see small droplets of bright red blood fall and hit the stone floor and then turned her attention to what had caused the wound.

Sakura's slender, womanly hand was gripping tightly to a small, two inch particle that had been apart of Gandalf's broken staff and the crystal which had been their only source of light for the past several days they'd spent in those gruesome halls which must have once, when the dwarves still dwelt there, been quite beautiful and filled with light from torches.

And laughter and enjoyment from it's dwellers.

Even the crystal hadn't come out of the Mines unscathed. It was slightly darkened. Burned by the fire that had been the Balrog's essence and a great big, deep crack ran the entire right side of the crystal ( hence the reason for the wound in Sakura's palm).

Tears slipped down her cheeks as her hand felt the smooth surface of the crystal and the roughness of the wood. The staff and crystal had belonged to Gandalf and had served him for so many years, until the staff had been broken into pieces by the Balrog.

She closed her eyes, suddenly at the end of her rope. Her body shuddered with pent up emotions.

To see the crystal and the tiny piece of the gnarly staff.

And alas, the words that Aragorn had used.

Sakura felt the bitter, burning feeling in her throat well up as she tried to suppress her grief. Oh, how she longed to let it all spill forth, but she couldn't think of anyone other than her fiance whom could truly help her with the pain.

Aragorn said nothing more as he moved closer to the young woman and took her in an embrace. But only for a moment before pulling her towards the stairway leading to the exit.

Aragorn grimaced as he felt Sakura stumble as they made their way towards the stairs. Out of grief, or perhaps from some other mean? What it was, the Ranger did not know.

His face held a deep scowl as he shielded her from the Orc arrows that were shot towards them and helped her up the long stairway that must have been over five hundred steps. Just how many, he decided never to find out, as he wasn't setting foot in this place again as long as he lived.

Sakura had again fallen into the state of numbness, detached from the world around her. She could hear Aragorn talking to her her, trying to bring her out of the stupor, but she couldn't show any outward sign that she could hear him. She felt his hand enclosed around her arm, pulling her forward.

She stumbled, her lower back sending out tendrils of sharp pain wriggling up her back and spreading throughout her whole body. Her arms were in agony from trying in vain to help their friend and leader and they shook every now and then, but she made no noise. No outward sign of pain.

…...

Sam, Merry, Pippin, Boromir, Gimli and Kakashi had come streaming out of the East Gate of Moria, running as fast as they could to get away from that place which would haunt their memories for the rest of their lives.

They were greeted by the outside air which was at the moment emitting a gentle breeze, and a light that came from the sun. But it came as no comfort to no gentle breeze was more like a winter wind that goes under clothes and freezes people's skin and the sun was too bright as it shined into their eyes.

A moment later they had Naruto and Frodo join them.

The hobbit was once again quiet, having exhausted himself with the screaming. But he was clearly in shock, and the Kyuubi-vessel was quietly crying as he set his friend on the ground.

Frodo meandered off in a direction somewhere to the left as soon as he had both his feet on the ground while Naruto stayed put, looking out into the horizon without really registering anything he saw.

Sam had fallen to his knees as soon as he had stepped out into the fresh air. His eyes were clouded with tears and his chest heaved with sobs as he grieved the wizard whom he'd known as a friend since the time he had been a small child living in the Shire. Loosing Gandalf was a terrible blow to him.

Pippin was completely slumped on the ground a few meters away, his small body wracked in sobs as Merry held him tightly by the shoulders. He knew Merry was grieving, as he felt droplets of salty tears fall on the skin of his neck every few minutes.

Boromir was standing rigidly some three meters away from the hobbits. His face taught with anger and grief, one muscular arm was wrapped around Gimli's shoulder as the said dwarf shouting profanities, threats and not understandable words that could only be dwarvish.

…...

As Sakura finally came out into the end of the stairs and was greeted with the fresh air and sunlight, she allowed a very tiny, choked sob escape her lips.

The sun-light was so beautiful as it shined down upon them from the almost cloudless sky. She wished Gandalf could have seen it, and it was horrible that he wasn't able to set eyes on it.

Her green eyes searched the area they had stepped in to, noting where the members of the Fellowship were standing, kneeling, or were slumped on the ground.

She saw Legolas walking around with glassy eyes and a stunned, grieved expression on his face.

Kakashi stood at the edge of the cliff with his hands held in tight fists. His back was straight, but there was noticeable tension in his posture.

But for her, there was only one person she truly wanted to be near with. The man standing not two meters away from her, standing slumped with his back against the cool surface of the mountain's stone wall.

'' Naruto.'' she choked out as she approached him, stumbling slightly from the pain in her back.

He met her half-way, his arms open in invitation for her. Sakura fell forward against his broad chest as her knees buckled and gave way underneath her.

He caught her around her lean waist and lowered them both on the ground.

Sakura felt the dam she had built inside of her break. And like the raging water flowing out of a real dam built to keep water from getting through, Sakura allowed herself to finally succumb to her emotional pain.

Naruto's eyes were glassy as he hugged his fiance close and nearly sobbed himself as he lowered his cheek on top of her head.

Aragorn looked away from the grieving couple and walked away, perhaps hoping deep inside that Arwen were there with him to share the pain and sadness with him.

…...

The much seen, and experienced Ranger finally looked away from the sun that was beginning to set on them. As he turned around to address his companions he sheathed his sword which he had cleaned free of orc blood that had stuck to it from the battle in the Chamber of Mazarbul. '' Legolas, Kakashi," he said, "get the others up. We have to push on now."

Naruto looked up at Aragorn, silently wondering the reason they had to leave with such haste before turning back to his fiance.

" Sakura," Naruto whispered gently to the pink haired woman whom was still sobbing bitterly into his chest, " you heard Aragorn. We have to get moving."

Sakura sniffled as she pushed away from Naruto and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.'' Okay.'' she said softly, her voice slightly shaky.

Kakashi had meandered over to Merry and Pippin and quickly but gently pulled the two grieving hobbit's on their feet.

'' B-but...'' Pippin choked out, '' why must we...''

" Come now you two, " he said quietly,'' I know you are grieving right now, but Aragorn is our leader now and we must follow him

'' I suppose we must, Kakashi," replied Merry sadly, " Pippin, let's go."

Pippin scowled slightly before nodding with tears slipping down his cheeks.

Kakashi sighed at Pippin's scowl. Shaking his head, he turned to look at Legolas whom had approached Sam and was helping the gardener up on his feet.

Boromir gave a noise of exasperation as he let go of Gimli. (The dwarf had ceased shouting profanities, but still looked resolutely furious). " Aragorn, why not give them time to properly grieve, for pity's sake!"

"By nightfall," Aragorn answered calmly to the Gondorian man's rather hard words, "these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien."

His calm posture only seemed to irritate the younger man more and he turned to look away from the Ranger.

Aragorn sighed softly before looking around for Frodo, and spotted him wandered off some distance away from the rest of the Fellowship.

"Frodo!" Aragorn called out, trying to catch the hobbit's attention.

Frodo neither stopped walking, or turned around to face the Ranger calling out to him.

A frown fell over Aragorn's expression and he called out once more, his voice more loud and insistent.

'' FRODO!''

Frodo stopped in his tracks, snapping out of whatever trance he had been in.

He heard quick footsteps approaching him.

"You weren't thinking about leaving us, were you Frodo?" Aragorn said quietly as soon as he was close enough to the hobbit

Frodo turned to look at him. He was silent with tear- stains on his cheeks.

Aragorn swallowed a gasp at the expression in the Hobbit's eyes.

There was such grief and hopelessness. Anger and disbelief.

But there was also a steely resolve that shined out from them. A promise that he would do his duty as the Ring-bearer and see things to the end no matter what sort of sacrifice it would cause him in the end.

'' _Frodo,'_' Aragorn thought sadly as he lowered a hand on the dark haired hobbit's shoulder,''_it seems that_ _you really were going __to head off on your own. But as honorable as your intentions are, you aren't ready to face the dangers ahead __without the safety in numbers__. I'm sorry Frodo, but I must keep you contained within the Fellowship.''_

**End of Chapter 19 The Aftermath**


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